Rebecca A.R. Bryant

Department of Biology

Carleton College

Northfield MN 55057

email: rbryant@carleton.edu

tel: (507) 646-4545 fax: (507) 646-5757

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Education

· Postdoctoral Fellow Harvard Medical School, Department of Pathology 1997-2000

· Ph.D. University of Massachusetts, Molecular and Cellular Biology February 1998

· B.A. Clark University, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology May 1991

Teaching Experience

· Visiting Assistant Professor Department of Biology, Carleton College, Northfield MN 2000-2001

· Responsible for Biochemistry and two associated laboratories

· Designed and taught Molecular Biology and associated laboratory

· Coordinated and taught Introductory Biology laboratories

· Directed student in an independent research study

· Served as member of senior comprehensive exam committees

· Teaching Assistant Introduction to Biology, University of Massachusetts 1991

· Teaching Assistant Biochemistry Laboratory, University of Massachusetts 1992

Research Experience

· Postdoctoral Research Dr. Hidde Ploegh, Dept. of Pathology, Harvard Medical School 1997-2000

Cysteine Proteases involved in antigen presentation and angiogenesis. Novel radiolabeled active-site directed probes were developed and used to study the roles of cysteine proteases, specifically cathepsins, in MHC Class II-restricted antigen presentation and angiogenesis.

· Graduate Thesis Research Dr. David E. Hansen, Dept. of Chemistry, Amherst College 1991-1997

Toward an antibody peptidase: Mechanistic studies of peptide-bond hydrolysis. Thesis awarded the Byron Prize for Best Dissertation in 1997. An HPLC-based assay for the hydrolysis of peptide bonds was developed. The effect of torsional strain on the rate of peptide-bond hydrolysis was investigated.

· Graduate Rotation Dr. Bruce Jacobson, Dept. of Biochemistry, University of Massachusetts 1992

· Undergraduate Research Dr. Donald Nelson, Dept. of Chemistry, Clark University 1990

· Summer Research Dr. Judith McDowell Capuzzo, Woodshole Oceanographic Institute 1990

Awards/Funding

· Rosenow Fund for Independent Study Student Support, Carleton College Winter 2001

· Postdoctoral Fellowship, Cancer Research Institute January 1999-August 2000

· Postdoctoral Support, NIH Training in Transplantation Biology Grant, declined December 1998-November 1999

· Byron Prize for Best Dissertation, Molecular and Cellular Biology Program March 1998

· Best Graduate Student Poster Award, AAAS Meeting June 1996

· Keystone Award for Outstanding Scientific Contribution,

Keystone Symposium on "Exploring and Exploiting Antibody and Ig Superfamily Combining Sites" February 1996

· Molecular and Cellular Biology Program Travel Awards February/June 1996

· Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, Molecular and Cellular Biology Program Spring 1992

· Research Assistantship, Amherst College 1992-1997

· Teaching Assistantships, University of Massachusetts Fall 1991-Spring 1992

Rebecca A.R. Bryant page 2

Publications

· Shi, G-P., R.A.R. Bryant, R. Riese, S. Verhelst, C. Driessen, D. Bromme, H.L. Ploegh, and H.A. Chapman (2000) Role for

Cathepsin F in Invariant Chain Processing and MHC Class II Peptide Loading by Macrophages. J. Exp. Med. 191(7):1177-

1186.

· Felbor, U., L. Dreier, R.A.R. Bryant, H.L. Ploegh, B.R. Olsen, and W. Mothes (2000) Endostatin Release from Collagen

XVIII by Secreted Cathepsin L. EMBO J. 19(6):1187-1194.

· Villadangos, J.A., R.A.R. Bryant, J. Deussing, C. Driessen, A-M. Lennon-Dumenil, R.J. Riese, W. Roth, P. Saftig, G-P. Shi, H.A. Chapman, C. Peters, and H. Ploegh (1999) Proteases Involved in MHC Class II Antigen Presentation. Immunol. Rev. 172:100-120.

· Driessen, C., R.A.R. Bryant, A-M. Lennon-Dumenil, J.A. Villadangos, P.W. Bryant, G-P. Shi, H.A. Chapman, and H. Ploegh (1999) Cathepsin S Controls the Trafficking and Maturation of MHC Class II Molecules in Dendritic Cells. J. Cell. Biol. 147:775-790.

· Bryant, R.A.R. and D.E. Hansen (1996) Direct Measurement of the Uncatalyzed Rate of Hydrolysis of a Peptide Bond. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 18:5489-5499.

Manuscripts Under Review or In Preparation

· Lennon-Dumenil, A-M., R.A.R. Bryant, C. Driessen, L. Bikoff, H.L. Ploegh, and P.W. Bryant, MHC Class II-associated

Invariant Chain is Required for Cathepsin L Activity in Antigen Presenting Cells. J. Cell. Biol., submitted.

· Bryant, R.A.R., S. Shin, M. Bogyo, J. McMaster, and H.L. Ploegh, Synthesis and Characterization of a New

Radiolabeled Cysteine Protease Inhibitor: Use in Biological Systems. manuscript in preparation.

· Bryant, R.A.R., Z. Wang, R. Plourde, D.E. Hansen, and R.J. Sugasawara. RJS8-1, Mouse Monoclonal to FK-520

(Ascomycin). manuscript awaiting corporate release for publication.

Publications — Book Reviews/News Articles

· Bryant, R.A.R. (2000) Birth of Glial Cells Revealed. FOCUS: News from Harvard Medical, Dental & Public Health Schools,

June 23 issue.

· Bryant, R.A.R. (2000) Bacteria Dispose of Electron Waste by Exterior Shuttle. FOCUS: News from Harvard Medical, Dental &

Public Health Schools, May 5 issue.

· Bryant, R.A.R. (2000) With or Without Backbone, Organisms Use GATA to Have Guts. FOCUS: News from Harvard

Medical, Dental & Public Health Schools, May 5 issue.

· Bryant, R.A.R. (2000) CASK: Scaffold Protein, Transcription Factor, or is it Both? FOCUS: News from Harvard Medical,

Dental & Public Health Schools, March 24 issue.

· Bryant, R.A.R. and C.A. Roberts (1995) Book Review of A Ph.D. is Not Enough! by Peter J. Feibelman. Association for Women in Mathematics Newsletter, 24(4).

Presentations — Selected Seminars and Posters

· "Gone Fishin': Discovering the Enzyme that Releases the Angiogenesis Inhibitor Endostatin.", Department of Biology, Carleton

College, Northfield MN, seminar (September 2000).

· "Radiolabeled Active-Site Probes for the Study of Cysteine Proteases", Department of Chemistry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ, seminar (November 1999).

· "Active-site Labeling of Cathepsin S in Dendritic Cells", Biology of Proteolysis Meeting, Cold Spring Harbor NY, poster (May

1999).

· "A Novel, Radiolabeled Inhibitor of Cathepsin S", New England Immunology Conference, Woodshole MA, poster (October 1999).

· "Proteases Important in Antigen Processing and Presentation", Molecular and Cellular Biology Annual Retreat, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA, Byron Prize acceptance seminar (March 1998).

· "Toward a Sequence-Specific Antibody Protease: A Sensitive Assay for Peptide-Bond Hydrolysis", Keystone Symposium on "Exploring and Exploiting Antibody and Ig Superfamily Combining Sites," Taos NM, poster (February 1996).

· "Progress Toward a Sequence-Specific Antibody Peptidase: A Sensitive Assay for Peptide-Bond Hydrolysis", AAAS Meeting, Flagstaff AZ, poster (June 1996).

· "Determination of the Uncatalyzed Rate of Hydrolysis of a Peptide Bond", Chemistry-Biology Interface, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA, chalk talk (April 1996).

· "Catalytic Antibodies", Department of Chemistry, Clark University, Worcester MA, seminar (February 1996).

Rebecca A.R. Bryant page 3

Professional Activities

· Editor, The Journal of Undergraduate Study & Independent Research 2001

· Participant, Midwest Faculty Seminar, "Genetic Research and the Future of Medicine", University of Chicago 2001

· Consultant, Lexigen Pharmaceuticals Corporation 2000

· Panel Member, "Preparing for Graduate School", Carleton College 2000

· Participant, AMWA Meeting "The Human Genome Project and the Future of Medicine", Whitehead Institute 2000

· Member, American Medical Writers Association 2000

· Member, New England Science Writers Association 2000

· Judge, Boston Latin School Science Fair, Boston MA 2000

· Organizer, Molecular and Cellular Biology Colloquium Series, University of Massachusetts 1995-1996

· Host, "A Day with a Scientist" for home-taught junior high school students 1995

· Organizer, poster session for the annual Molecular and Cellular Biology Symposium, University of Massachusetts 1994-1996

· Student Representative, Molecular and Cellular Biology Program Committee, University of Massachusetts 1994-1996

· Volunteer Scientist, "Community Science Spree Day", Amherst MA 1994

· Volunteer Scientist, Science-by-Mail Program, Boston Museum of Science 1993-1995

· Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science 1993-1996

· Member, Association for Women in Science 1993-1996

 

 

References

Dr. Mark McKone Dr. Hidde Ploegh Dr. David E. Hansen* Dr. Barbara A. Osborne*

Department of Biology Department of Pathology Department of Chemistry Vet. and Animal Science

Carleton College Harvard Medical School Amherst College University of Massachusetts

Northfield MN 55057 Boston, MA 02115 Amherst, MA 01002 Amherst, MA 01003

(507) 646-4393 (617) 432-4777 (413) 542-2731 (413) 545-4882

mmckone@carleton.edu ploegh@hms.harvard.edu dehansen@alpha2.amherst.edu osborne@vasci.umass.edu

* Graduate Faculty, Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01002.