# preferredTitle
Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies

# positions[].label
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies

# positions[].organizations[].label
School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

# positions[].organizations[].parent[].label
School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

# overview
My Comparative Immunogenetics Laboratory studies immunology, molecular genetics and evolution. Most of our group's research focuses on the natural history and future application of the vertebrate adaptive immune system, with particular attention given to the genetics of lymphocyte antigen receptors. Particular expertise lies in the evolution of vertebrate immunoglobulin loci, T cell receptor loci and the major histocompatibility complex. Additionally, we are interested in the evolution of diversification mechanisms at work there (e.g., recombination activating genes (RAG), activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), and the high allelic polymorphism maintained by classical MHC genes). Most recently, we have been working on lymphocyte development in shark thymus that suggests plasticity across the B lymphocyte/T lymphocyte divide, immunoglobulin heavy and light chain isotype pairing in an amphibian system, immunogenetics in marine mammals of conservation importance, mucosal humoral immunity in diverse tetrapods and cattle antibodies with an unheralded domain extending for novel antigen binding possibilities.

# hrJobTitle
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies

# keywords[]
1.1 Normal Biological Development And Functioning

# keywords[]
Gene Rearrangement, Delta-chain T-cell Antigen Receptor

# keywords[]
Natural Cytotoxicity Triggering Receptor 3

# keywords[]
Gene Rearrangement, Alpha-chain T-cell Antigen Receptor

# keywords[]
Gene Rearrangement, Delta-chain T-cell Antigen Receptor

# keywords[]
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

# keywords[]
Gene Rearrangement, Delta-chain T-cell Antigen Receptor

# keywords[]
Gene Rearrangement, Alpha-chain T-cell Antigen Receptor

# keywords[]
Gene Rearrangement, B-lymphocyte, Light Chain

# keywords[]
1.1 Normal Biological Development And Functioning

# keywords[]
Atp Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 2

# keywords[]
Atp Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 3

# keywords[]
Gene Rearrangement, B-lymphocyte, Heavy Chain

# keywords[]
Natural Cytotoxicity Triggering Receptor 3

# keywords[]
1.1 Normal Biological Development And Functioning

# keywords[]
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

# keywords[]
Gene Rearrangement, Delta-chain T-cell Antigen Receptor

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - (Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States)

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
East Carolina University - (Greenville, North Carolina, United States)

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
University of Miami - (Coral Gables, Florida, United States)

# awardsAndHonors[].label
Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor Award

# awardsAndHonors[].label
Montague Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) Scholar

# publications[].label
Rapid elicitation of broadly neutralizing antibodies to HIV by immunization in cows.

# publications[].label
Code Blue: Nurse Cells Can Resuscitate Lymphocyte Receptors in Nurse Shark Thymus by Secondary Rearrangement

# publications[].publisher
The American Association of Immunologists

# publications[].label
A Broad Role for Cysteines in Bovine Antibody Diversity.

# publications[].publisher
The American Association of Immunologists

# publications[].label
Deiminated proteins in extracellular vesicles and plasma of nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) - Novel insights into shark immunity.

# publications[].label
Immunogenetic factors driving formation of ultralong VH CDR3 in Bos taurus antibodies.

# publications[].label
The Florida manatee ( Trichechus manatus latirostris ) T cell receptor loci exhibit V segment locus synteny and chain-specific evolution

# publications[].publisher
The American Association of Immunologists

# publications[].label
Conference report: The 14th congress of the International Society of Developmental and Comparative Immunology.

# publications[].label
Examining De Novo Transcriptome Assemblies via a Quality Assessment Pipeline.

# publications[].publisher
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

# publications[].label
An evolutionarily mobile antigen receptor variable region gene: doubly rearranging NAR-TcR genes in sharks.

# publications[].publisher
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

# publications[].label
Genomic organization of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) T cell receptor alpha/delta locus and analysis of expressed products.

# publications[].label
Immune response of human cultured cells towards macrocyclic Fe2PO and Fe2PC bioactive cyclophane complexes.

# publications[].label
The dynamic TCR: TCR chains in the amphibian Xenopus tropicalis utilize antibody-like V genes.

# publications[].label
O2 Glycosylation signal sequence for 2-microglobulin in the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus

# publications[].label
Analysis of shark NCR3 family genes reveals primordial features of vertebrate NKp30.

# publications[].label
Somatic hypermutation of T cell receptor  chain contributes to selection in nurse shark thymus.

# publications[].label
Expression of the inflammatory chemokines CCL2, CCL5 and CXCL2 and the receptors CCR1-3 and CXCR2 in T lymphocytes from mammary tumor-bearing mice.

# publications[].label
Investigating distinct immunization routes in zebrafish on mucosal immunity

# publications[].publisher
The American Association of Immunologists

# publications[].label
Editorial: Comparative Immunology of Marine Mammals.

# publications[].label
Ancient T-independence of mucosal IgX/A: gut microbiota unaffected by larval thymectomy in Xenopus laevis.

# publications[].label
Allelic polymorphism of TCR alpha chain constant domain gene in the bicolor damselfish

# publications[].label
Beta 2-microglobulin of ictalurid catfishes.

# publications[].label
Evolution of the S100 family of calcium sensor proteins.

# publications[].label
Evolution of the B7 family: co-evolution of B7H6 and Nkp30, identification of a new B7 family member, B7H7, and of B7's historical relationship with the MHC (vol 64, pg 571, 2012)

# publications[].label
Four primordial immunoglobulin light chain isotypes, including lambda and kappa, identified in the most primitive living jawed vertebrates.

# publications[].label
De novo Transcriptome Assemblies and Annotation for Pacific Whiteleg Shrimp

# publications[].publisher
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

# publications[].label
CCAAT box binding protein NF-Y facilitates in vivo recruitment of upstream DNA binding transcription factors.

# publications[].label
One Health: Addressing Global Challenges at the Nexus of Human, Animal, and Environmental Health.

# publications[].label
Demonstration of TLR response in O. mykiss by the bacterial 23S rRNA motif

# publications[].publisher
The American Association of Immunologists

# publications[].label
Allelic polymorphism of T-cell receptor constant domains is widespread in fishes.

# publications[].label
Somatic hypermutation of TCR alpha contributes to thymic positive selection in sharks

# publications[].label
Evolutionarily conserved TCR binding sites, identification of T cells in primary lymphoid tissues, and surprising trans-rearrangements in nurse shark.

# publications[].publisher
The American Association of Immunologists

# publications[].label
Nurse shark T-cell receptors employ somatic hypermutation preferentially to alter alpha/delta variable segments associated with alpha constant region.

# publications[].label
From IgZ to IgT: A Call for a Common Nomenclature for Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Genes of Ray-Finned Fish.

# publications[].label
Comparative study of cartilaginous fish divulges insights into the early evolution of primary, secondary and mucosal lymphoid tissue architecture.

# publications[].label
Novel insights on aquatic mammal MHC evolution: Evidence from manatee DQB diversity.

# publications[].label
Using PacBio SMRT data for identification of class I MHC alleles in a wildlife species, Zalophus californianus (California sea lion).

# publications[].label
miR-150 regulates obesity-associated insulin resistance by controlling B cell functions.

# publications[].label
D10 4:15 Expression of major histocompatibility genes in the channel catfish

# publications[].label
Shark class II invariant chain reveals ancient conserved relationships with cathepsins and MHC class II.

# publications[].label
Molecular characterization and expression analysis of the chicken-type and goose-type lysozymes from totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi).

# publications[].label
What the shark immune system can and cannot provide for the expanding design landscape of immunotherapy.

# publications[].label
Interferon epsilon in the reproductive tract of healthy and genital herpes simplex virus-infected pregnant women: Results of a pilot study.

# publications[].label
Synergies between vaccination and dietary arginine and glutamine supplementation improve the immune response of channel catfish against Edwardsiella ictaluri.

# publications[].label
Distinct immunomodulatory effects of a panel of nanomaterials in human dermal fibroblasts.

# publications[].label
Diverse immunoglobulin light chain organizations in fish retain potential to revise B cell receptor specificities.

# publications[].publisher
The American Association of Immunologists

# publications[].label
Novel transcriptome assembly and improved annotation of the whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), a dominant crustacean in global seafood mariculture

# publications[].label
Somatic hypermutation of T cell receptor gamma, delta, and beta chains in nurse sharks

# publications[].publisher
The American Association of Immunologists

# publications[].label
Investigating distinct immunization routes in zebrafish on mucosal immunity

# publications[].label
Haptoglobin Is a Divergent MASP Family Member That Neofunctionalized To Recycle Hemoglobin via CD163 in Mammals.

# publications[].publisher
The American Association of Immunologists

# publications[].label
Proteasome, transporter associated with antigen processing, and class I genes in the nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum: evidence for a stable class I region and MHC haplotype lineages.

# publications[].publisher
The American Association of Immunologists

# publications[].label
DNP-KLH Yields Changes in Leukocyte Populations and Immunoglobulin Isotype Use with Different Immunization Routes in Zebrafish.

# publications[].label
Emergence of the acute-phase protein hemopexin in jawed vertebrates.

# publications[].label
Post-Translational Protein Deimination Signatures in Serum and Serum-Extracellular Vesicles of Bos taurus Reveal Immune, Anti-Pathogenic, Anti-Viral, Metabolic and Cancer-Related Pathways for Deimination.

# publications[].label
Interferon epsilon and preterm birth subtypes; a new piece of the type I interferon puzzle during pregnancy?

# publications[].label
The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) immunoglobulin heavy chain suggests the importance of clan III variable segments in repertoire diversity.

# publications[].label
Expressed IgH  and  transcripts share diversity segment in ranched Thunnus orientalis.

# publications[].label
Code Blue: Nurse Cells Can Resuscitate Lymphocyte Receptors in Nurse Shark Thymus by Secondary Rearrangement

# publications[].label
Engineered Nanoparticles Induce DNA Damage in Primary Human Skin Cells, Even at Low Doses

# publications[].label
Deiminated proteins in extracellular vesicles and serum of llama (Lama glama)-Novel insights into camelid immunity.

# publications[].label
Novel transcriptome assembly and improved annotation of the whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), a dominant crustacean in global seafood mariculture.

# publications[].label
Quantum dots trigger immunomodulation of the NFB pathway in human skin cells.

# publications[].label
"Double-duty" conventional dendritic cells in the amphibian Xenopus as the prototype for antigen presentation to B cells.

# publications[].label
Evolution of the B7 family: co-evolution of B7H6 and NKp30, identification of a new B7 family member, B7H7, and of B7's historical relationship with the MHC.

# publications[].label
The Marine Mammal Class II Major Histocompatibility Complex Organization.

# publications[].label
Evolution of immunogenetic components used to form ultralong VH CDR3 antibodies in Bovidae

# publications[].publisher
The American Association of Immunologists

# publications[].label
A doubly rearranging antigen receptor chain in sharks

# publications[].publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

# publications[].label
Deimination Protein Profiles in Alligator mississippiensis Reveal Plasma and Extracellular Vesicle-Specific Signatures Relating to Immunity, Metabolic Function, and Gene Regulation.

# publications[].label
Activation Induced Cytidine Deaminase and the Evolution of Antigen Receptor Immunogenetics

# publications[].publisher
The American Association of Immunologists

# publications[].label
The Unusual Genetics and Biochemistry of Bovine Immunoglobulins.

# publications[].label
Evolution of immunogenetic components encoding ultralong CDR H3.

# publications[].label
Somatic hypermutation of TCR contributes to thymic positive selection in sharks

# publications[].publisher
The American Association of Immunologists

# publications[].label
The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) T cell receptor loci exhibit V subgroup synteny and chain-specific evolution.

# publications[].label
Allelic polymorphism of TCRalpha chain constant domain genes in the bicolor damselfish.

# publications[].label
Structural and genetic diversity in antibody repertoires from diverse species.

# publications[].label
Tripping on acid: trans-kingdom perspectives on biological acids in immunity and pathogenesis.

# publications[].label
Evolutionarily conserved and divergent regions of the autoimmune regulator (Aire) gene: a comparative analysis.

# publications[].label
Crystal structure of shrimp arginine kinase in binary complex with arginine-a molecular view of the phosphagen precursor binding to the enzyme.

# publications[].label
Refining In Vitro Toxicity Models: Comparing Baseline Characteristics of Lung Cell Types.

# publications[].label
The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) T cell receptor loci exhibit V segment locus synteny and chain-specific evolution

# publications[].label
Activation Induced Cytidine Deaminase and the Evolution of Antigen Receptor Immunogenetics

# publications[].label
Evolution of surrogate light chain in tetrapods and the relationship between lengths of CDR H3 and VpreB tails.

# publications[].label
Somatic hypermutation of T cell receptor gamma, delta, and beta chains in nurse sharks

# publications[].label
Lost structural and functional inter-relationships between Ig and TCR loci in mammals revealed in sharks.

# publications[].label
TLR4 and TLR8 variability in Amazonian and West Indian manatee species from Brazil.

# publications[].label
Ancient Use of Ig Variable Domains Contributes Significantly to the TCR Repertoire.

# publications[].publisher
The American Association of Immunologists

# publications[].label
Oral immunization of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) upregulates the mucosal immunoglobulin IgX.

# publications[].label
A Novel Paradigm of MicroRNA Regulation of Insulin Resistance: miR-150 Regulates Insulin Sensitivity Through Controlling B Cell Functions

# researcherOn[].label
Evolution of Immune Loci Critical in Antigen Recognition

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Science Foundation - (Arlington, Virginia, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
Development of a High-Throughput Microfludics-Enabled Functional Assay for Rapidly Identifying Neutralizing Antibodies

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institutes of Health - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.preferredLabel
DHHS-NIH-National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

# researcherOn[].label
Evolution of Diversification Mechanisms for Lymphocyte Antigen-Receptors

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Science Foundation - (Arlington, Virginia, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
Meeting: Travel for Students and Postdocs to attend the 14th Congress of the International Society for Developmental and Comparative Immunology Santa Fe, NM, 6/17-21/18-

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Science Foundation - (Arlington, Virginia, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
RAPID: Large-scale functional analysis of antibody repertoires elicited by SARS-CoV-2

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
Directorate for Biological Sciences - (Arlington, Virginia, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
Evaluation of Novel Interferon Epsilon across Human Pregnancy

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institutes of Health - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.preferredLabel
DHHS-NIH-National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

# researcherOn[].label
Accelerating Discovery of Neutralizing Paratopes with Functional Antibody Screening Technology

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institutes of Health - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.preferredLabel
DHHS-NIH-National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

# researcherOn[].label
Impact of the Anti-PEG Response on the Efficacy of PEG Hydrogel-Mediated Bone Regeneration

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institutes of Health - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.preferredLabel
DHHS-NIH-National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

# streetAddress
Texas A&M University; Vet Med Pathobiology; 4467 TAMU

# organizations[]
School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

# schools[]
School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

# etdChairOf[].label
Mashoof, Sara (2014-04). Evolution of Mucosal Immunoglobulins: Xenopus Laevis IgX and Thunnus Orientalis IgZ/T. Doctoral Dissertation.

# etdChairOf[].label
Du, Christina (2012-10). Investigation of Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Isotypes in an Ancestral Mucosal Immune Model. Master's Thesis.

# etdChairOf[].label
Romoser, Amelia Antonia (2012-07). Cytotoxicological Response to Engineered Nanomaterials: A Pathway-Driven Process. Doctoral Dissertation.

# etdChairOf[].label
Breaux, Breanna Laine (2018-07). The Florida Manatee Adaptive Immune Receptor Genes Reveal Novel Patterns in Mammalian Evolution. Doctoral Dissertation.

# etdChairOf[].label
Seelye, Stacie Lynn (2016-05). Genomic Organization of Zebrafish (Danio rerio) T Cell Receptor ?/? Locus and Analysis of Expressed Products. Master's Thesis.

# etdChairOf[].label
Jacobs, Natalie Jo (2015-12). Why Maintain Light Chain Isotypes? The Influence of Heavy Chain Isotype and Complementary Determining Region Lengths upon Light Chain Isotype in Xenopus laevis. Master's Thesis.

# etdChairOf[].label
Breaux, Breanna Laine (2018-08). The Florida Manatee Adaptive Immune Receptor Genes Reveal Novel Patterns in Mammalian Evolution. Doctoral Dissertation.

# etdChairOf[].label
Wright, Rachel (2012-10). Characterization of RPGR Variants and Their Role in Inherited Retinal Degeneration. Doctoral Dissertation.