Marina V. Kniazeva                                   8.31.04

Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department/HHMI
Campus Box 347, Colorado University at Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309
TEL (lab): 303-492-4493 or 303-735-4688
FAX (lab): 303-735-0175
E-MAIL: marinak@colorado.edu
Home Page: http://www-math.cudenver.edu/~marinak
____________________________________________________________________________________

Education

Ph.D. in Molecular Biology.              Institute of Developmental Biology 
                                                                 Russian Academy of Sciences,  
                                                                 Moscow, Russia,1991.

BA and MS in Molecular Biology     Moscow State University.
                                                                 Moscow, Russia,1984.


Professional experience

January 2000 - present
Senior Research Associate              Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department, 
                                                                  University of Colorado at Boulder.  /Howard Hughes Medical Institute 
                                                                  Fatty Acids in  animal growth and development.
                                                                  Mono-methyl branched chain Fatty Acids as molecules of vitality.
                                                                  Fatty Acid Homestasis.
May 1996 – January 2000
Research Associate                            Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department, 
                                                                  University of Colorado at Boulder                                              
                                                                  Genes associated with autosomal dominant form
                                                                  of Stargardt’s-like Macular Degeneration (SMD)
                                                                  and Cone-Rod Dystrophy in Humans.
 

August 1995 - January 1996 
Postdoctoral Fellow                            Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center,
                                                                  New York.
                                                                 TGF beta1 expression and  Short Fatty Acids in normal  colon and colon cancer cells
October 1992—August 1995 
Research  Scientist                             School of Dental and Oral Surgery,
                                                                  Columbia  University, New York.
                                                                  Functions and regeneration of the human periodontal ligament cells (PDL).   Prion protein 
                                                                  expression in PDL. The PrP mRNA levels during PDL cells senescence in vivo and  in vitro.
   
Grant support

Fight for Sight Grant Award: Genetic and Molecular Analysis of Autosomal Dominant Form of Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy.
PI, 7/1/98-6/30/99, # GA98021
Grant from  Mammalian Genotyping  Service. PI., 1998-1999. Mapping Cone-Rod Dystrophy.
 

Training Record. Undergraduate and Graduate Students:

- Jason Seo, School of Dental and Oral Surgery, Columbia University, 1993-1994.
First award on the Birnberg Research Day, SDOS, Columbia University, 1994, for the best student scientific work
- Abbas Mohammadi, School of Dental and Oral Surgery, Columbia University, 1993-1994. Second award on the Birnberg Research Day, SDOS, Columbia University, 1994, for the best student scientific work
- Steve Engebredson, graduate student Dental School, Harvard University, 1995
- Jon Zawistowski, undergraduate student, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1997-1999
Supervisor of Mr. Zawistowski's Fight for Sight Student Fellowship and Honor Thesis at University of Colorado at Boulder .
- Scott Maccauley, undergraduate student, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1999-2000
 -Quinn Crawford, undergraduate student, University of Colorado at Boulder, 2000-2003
- Matt Seiber, undergraduate student, University of Colorado at Boulder, 2000-2003
- Chen Wang, undergraduate student, University of Colorado at Boulder, 2003-2007

Publications

Kniazeva, M., Crawford, Q.T. , Seiber, M, Wang, C-Y.,  Han, M. Monomethyl Branched-Chain Fatty Acids Play an Essential Role in Caenorhabditis elegans Development. PLoS, 2004, Sep 2(9):1446-1459.

Kniazeva M, Sieber M, McCauley S, Zhang K, Watts JL, Han M. Suppression of the ELO-2 FA elongation activity results in alterations of the fatty acid composition and multiple physiological defects, including abnormal ultradian rhythms, in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics. 2003 Jan;163(1):159-69.

Zhang K, Kniazeva M, Han M, Li W, Yu Z, Yang Z, Li Y, Metzker ML, Allikmets R, Zack DJ, Kakuk LE, Lagali PS, Wong PW, MacDonald IM, Sieving PA, Figueroa DJ, Austin CP, Gould RJ, Ayyagari R, Petrukhin K. A 5-bp deletion in ELOVL4 is associated with two related forms of autosomal dominant macular dystrophy. Nat Genet. 2001 Jan;27(1):89-93.

Kniazeva M. and Han M.  KCNQ5, a new gene of the voltage-gated potassium channel KCNQ family is a
candidate gene for retinal disorders. May 2000, on the Web

Kniazeva, M., Chiang, M. F., Cutting, G. R.,  Han, M., Zhang, K. Clinical and genetic studies of a  dominant macular dystrophy with features of Stargardt’s disease and cone-rod dystrophy . Ophthalmic genetics,  20(2):71-81 1999.

 Kniazeva, M., Chiang, M. F., Han, M., Zhang, K.  A new gene for autosomal dominant Stargardt-like disease maps to chromosome 4.  Am J Hum Genet, 64:1394-1399 1999.

 Kniazeva M, Traboulsi EI, Yu Z, Stefko ST, Gorin MB, Shugart YY, O'Connell JR, Blaschak CJ, Cutting G, Han M,
 Zhang K. A new locus for dominant drusen and macular degeneration maps to chromosome 6q14.
Am J Ophthalmol. 2000 Aug;130(2):197-202.

Zhang K, Kniazeva M, Han M., Dean M, Allikmets R.  The ABCR Gene in Recessive and Dominant Stargardt Disease: A genetic Pathway in Macular Degeneration.  Genomics, 60(2):234-237, 1999.

Zhang K, Garibaldi D, Kniazeva M, Chiang M, Sunness J, Dean M, Allikmets R. A novel mutation of the ABCR gene in four patients with recessive Stargardt macular dystrophy. Am J Ophthal.,  128(6): 720-724, 1999.

 Kniazeva, M., Zawistovski, J., Han, M. Addition of a second primer in PCR mixture after the first step of initial denaturation greatly improves synthesis of specific PCR fragments. Technical Tips Online, TTO#1416, Elsevier Trends Journals, 1998.

Kniazeva, M., Orman, R.., Terranova, V.P. Expression of PrP mRNA is regulated by MRP8 fragment in human fibroblasts. BBRC, vol.234, p.59-63, 1997.

Kniazeva, M. TRIzol for plasmid DNA isolation. Trends in Genetics, TTO Online, Elsevier Trends Journals, TTO #1050, 1997.