Email: g.begley@neu.edu

Phone: 617.373.3491
Fax: 617.373.3724

Location: 414 Mugar Life Sciences
Mail: NU/Biology
         134 Mugar Life Sciences
         360 Huntington Avenue
         Boston, MA 02115 USA

Research Description

Biology is a story of connections and interactions. I am interested in understanding interactions at the molecular level, and integrating that knowledge into the larger schemes of physiology, ecology, and evolution. Stress response systems are particularly fascinating in this respect. I have looked at interactions in bacterial nutrient transport systems as well as proteins involved in chemotherapeutic drug resistance, pollution response, and blood clotting.

My enthusiasm for connections and interactions also informs and propels my teaching in Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology.

I have recently launched a program to expand research opportunities for our undergraduates by establishing an all-undergraduate research team to study microbial stress response.   We are currently collaborating with environmental technology firms to probe changes in microbial community structure in contaminated groundwater being treated by bioremediation (a process that uses natural occurring microbes to destroy contaminants).  We are working to optimize bioremediation treatment and to develop molecular probes to assess the suitability of contaminated sites for this type of treatment. Two students have been awarded Provost’s grants to pursue this research and one student has participated in the faculty undergraduate research initiative (FURI).   Thirteen students have presented their research at meetings.  Students have generated knowledge that has already been used to optimize bioremediation treatment.  Papers on the project have been presented at ten meetings, including the following:

• The 41st Annual Regional Meeting, American Society For Microbiology, Albany, NY, November 2006
  
  
• The 5th International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated & Recalcitrant Compounds May 2006
  
  
• The 64th Eastern New England Biology Conference, April 2006

I have also worked on integrating practice into an allied health Microbiology course and presented a paper on the results:

• Begley, G.S. 2006. Connecting the Dots: Integrating Theory and Practice in an Allied Health Microbiology Course. The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Journal (Northeastern University) Fall 2006: 5-7.
  
  
• NU Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning, Nov. 2004
  
  
• American Society for Microbiology Conference for Undergraduate Educators, New Orleans, May 2004
  
  

Brown MA*, Begley GS*, Czerwiec E, Stenberg LM, Jacobs M, Kalume DE, Roepstorff P, Stenflo J, Furie BC, Furie B. 2005. Precursors of Novel Gla-Containing Conotoxins Contain a Carboxy-Terminal Recognition Site That Directs gamma-Carboxylation. Biochemistry, 44(25):9150-9159.  (* co-lead authors)

Begley G.S., Horvath A.R., Taylor J.C., Higgins C.F.  2005.  Cytoplasmic domains of the transporter associated with antigen processing and P-glycoprotein interact with subunits of the proteasome.  Mol Immunol. 42(1):137-41.             

Czerwiec, E., G.S. Begley, M. Bronstein, J. Stenflo, K. Taylor, B.C. Furie and B. Furie.  2002. Expression and characterization of recombinant vitamin k-dependent g-glutamyl carboxylase  from an invertebrate, Conus textile.  Eur. J. Biochem. 269(24):6162-6172.

Jessen-Eller K, Kreiling J.A., Begley G.S., Steele M.E., Walker C.W., Stephens R.E., Reinisch C.L. 2002.  A new invertebrate member of the p53 gene family is developmentally expressed and responds to polychlorinated biphenyls. Environ Health Perspect. 110(4):377-85.

Taylor, J.C., A.R. Horvath, C.F. Higgins, and G.S. Begley. 2001. The multidrug resistance p-glycoprotein: oligomeric state and intramolecular interactions.  J. Biol. Chem. 276(39):36075-8.

Begley, G.S., B.C. Furie, E. Czerwiec, K.L. Taylor, G.L. Furie, L. Bronstein, J. Stenflo, and B. Furie.  2000.  A conserved motif within the vitamin K-dependent carboxylase gene is widely distributed across animal phyla. J. Biol. Chem. 275(46):36245-49.

Bush, K.A., J. Stenflo, D.A. Roth, E. Czerwiec, A. Harrist, G.S. Begley, B.C. Furie, and B. Furie.  1999.  Hydrophobic amino acids define the carboxylation recognition site in the precursor of gamma-carboxyglutamic acid-containing conotoxin e-TxIX from the marine cone snail, Conus textile.  Biochem. 38(44):14660-66. 

Begley, G.D., K. Warner, J.C. Arents, P.W. Postma, and G.R. Jacobson.  1996.  Isolation and characterization of a mutation that alters substrate specificity of the Escherichia coli glucose permease. J. Bacteriol. 178(3):940-2.

Begley, G.S., and G.R. Jacobson.  1994.  Overexpression, phosphorylation and growth effects of ORF162, a Klebsiella pneumoniae protein that is encoded by a gene linked to rpoN, the gene encoding sigma-54. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 119(3):389-94.

Begley, G.S., D.E. Hanson, G.R. Jacobson, and J.R. Knowles.  1982.  Stereochemical course of the reactions catalyzed by the bacterial phosphoenolpyruvate:glucose phosphotransferase system. Biochem.  21:5552-6.

Posters have been presented on these and other projects at 20 meetings.

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