Armbrust Lab

I am a research scientist and coordinator for the Pacific Northwest Center for Human Health and Ocean Studies. I use molecular techniques to understand the biochemistry of cellular processes in marine phytoplankton. For my Ph.D. thesis research, I investigated the expression of genes involved in the cycling of carbon and nitrogen within a diatom cell during photorespiration using two diatom species (Thalassiosira weissflogii and Thalassiosira pseudonana). For my work with the Center for Human Health and Ocean Studies, I am using comparative genomics and expression libraries to understand the genes that are differentially expressed in Pseudo-nitzschia australis and Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries cells when they produce the toxin domoic acid. The goal is to uncover genes involved in toxin production and develop these as markers for assessing toxin production in field samples. I also collaborate with other members in our lab on various projects, including the discovery of ferritin in Pseudo-nitzschia species (for more information on this project, see Adrian Marchetti's webpage). For more information on the Center for Human Health and Ocean Studies, please see our website. For more information on my previous research projects, please see my CV.

Education

• Ph.D. in Oceanography, University of Washington, 2004.
• M.S. in Oceanography, University of Washington, 1999.
• coursework in Plant Pathology, Cornell University, 1994-1995.
• B.S. summa cum laude in Biology, minor in German, University of Massachusetts, 1994.

Publications

• *Marchetti, A., M.S. *Parker, L.P. Moccia, E.O. Lin, A.L. Arrieta, F. Ribalet, M.E.P. Murphy, M.T. Maldonado, and E. V. Armbrust. (2009). A novel ferritin identified in bloom-forming marine pennate diatoms. Nature 457: 467-470. doi:10.1038/nature07539. *These authors contributed equally to this work.

• Parker, M.S., T. Mock, and E.V. Armbrust. (2008). Genomic Insights Into Marine Microalgae. Annual Review of Genetics 42:619–45.

• Bowler, C. et al. (2008). The Phaeodactylum genome reveals the dynamic nature and multi-lineage evolutionary history of diatom genomes. Nature 456:239-244.

• Worden, A. et al. (2008). Green evolution and dynamic adaptations revealed by genomes of the marine picoeukaryotes Micromonas. Science. in press.

• Dusek, E., C. Simenstad and M.S. Parker. (2008). Variability in clearance rates of a toxin-producing diatom by intertidal benthic suspension feeders. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. Submitted.

• *Kroth, P. G., A. Chiovitti*, A. Gruber*, V. Martin-Jezequel*, T. Mock*, M. S. Parker*, M. S. Stanley*, A. Kaplan, L. Caron, T. Weber, U. Maheswari, E. V. Armbrust, and C. Bowler. A model for carbohydrate metabolism in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum deduced from comparative whole genome analysis. (2008) PLoS ONE 3:e1426. Full Text Link *These authors contributed equally to this work.

• Montsant, A. A. E. Allen, S. Coesel, A. De Martino, A. Falciatore, M. Heijde, K. Jabbari, U. Maheswari, M. Mangogna, E. Rayko, M. Siaut, A. Vardi, K. E. Apt, J. A. Berges, A. Chiovitti, A. K. Davis, M. Z. Hadi, T. W. Lane, J. C. Lippmeier, D.Martinez, M. S. Parker, G. J. Pazour, M. A. Saito, K. Thamatrakoln, D. S. Rokhsar, E. V. Armbrust, C. Bowler. (2007) Identification and comparative genomic analysis of signaling and regulatory components in the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana. Journal of Phycology 43:585-604.

• Parker, M.S. and E.V. Armbrust. (2005). Synergistic effects of light, temperature and nitrogen source on transcription of genes for carbon and nitrogen metabolism in the centric diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana (Bacillariophyceae). Journal of Phycology 41:1142-1153. Full Text Link N.B. This paper was highlighted in the following review: Allen, A.E. (2005). Defining the molecular basis for energy balance in marine diatoms under fluctuating environmental conditions. Journal of Phycology 41: 1073–1076.

• Armbrust, E. Virginia, John A Berges, Chris Bowler, Beverley R. Green, Diego Martinez, Nicholas H. Putnam, Shiguo Zhou, Andrew E. Allen, Kirk E. Apt, Michael Bechner, Mark A. Brzezinski, Balbir K. Chaal, Anthony Chiovitti, Aubrey K.Davis, Mark S. Demarest, J. Chris Detter, Tijana Glavina, David Goodstein, Masood Z. Hadi, Uffe Hellsten, Mark Hildebrand, Bethany D. Jenkins, Jerzy Jurka, Vladimir V. Kapitonov, N. Kröger, Winnie W.Y. Lau, Todd W. Lane, Frank W. Larimer, J. Casey Lippmeier, Susan Lucas, Mónica Medina, Anton Montsant, Miroslav Obornik, Micaela Schnitzler Parker, B. Palenik, Gregory J. Pazour, Paul M. Richardson, Tatiana A. Rynearson, Mak A. Saito, David C. Schwartz, Kimberlee Thamatrakoln, Klaus Valentin, Assaf Vardi, Frances P. Wilkerson, and D. S. Rokhsar. (2004). The genome of the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana: Ecology, evolution and metabolism. Science 306: 79-86. Full Text Link

• Parker, M.S., E.V. Armbrust, J. Piovia-Scott and R G. Keil. (2004). Light regulation of a photorespiratory gene (glycine decarboxylase) in the centric diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii (Bacillariophyceae). Journal of Phycology 40:557-567. Full Text Link

• Parker, M.S., P.A. Jumars and L. L. LeClair.(2002). Population genetics of two bivalve species (Protothaca staminea and Macoma balthica) in Puget Sound , Washington. Journal of Shellfish Research. 22(3): 681-688.

• Weir, A.M.; Schnitzler*, M.A.; Tattar, T.A.; Klekowski, E.J. Jr. ; Stern, A.I. (1996). Wound periderm development in red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle (L.). Intl. J. Plant Sci. 157(1): 63-70.

• Schnitzler*, M.A. (1994). The anatomy of fungal resistance mechanisms in Rhizophora mangle (L.), red mangrove. Undergraduate Honors Thesis. University of Massachusetts, Honors Program.

* maiden name = Schnitzler