Email: k.bergman@neu.edu

Phone: 617.373.3496
Fax: 617.373.3724

Location: 413C Mugar Bldg.
Mail: NU/Biology
         134 Mugar Life Sciences
         360 Huntington Avenue
         Boston, MA 02115 USA

Research Description

I study the sensory physiology of microorganisms—how bacteria and fungi respond to various chemical and physical signals in their environment. Although the basic mechanisms of this behavior have received considerable attention in recent years, little is known of its role in microbial ecology. Work in my laboratory has shown that motility and chemotaxis are used by Rhizobium meliloti during the infection of alfalfa roots which eventually leads to symbiotic nitrogen fixation. We are refining our understanding of this phenomenon by using wild type and mutant cells labelled with green fluorescent protein to view the earliest steps in the infection process. New studies involve isolation of compounds from alfalfa root extracts which attract rhizobia, analysis of the flagellar and the chemotaxis genes by various techniques (including transposon mutagenesis, transduction, gene cloning, and sequencing), and measurements of motility and chemotaxis in soil.

I am now the Director of Undergraduate Studies for Biology. In this role I have developed two new projects:

(1) A course for teaching assistants that helps them to develop an active teaching style and supports their involvement in lab course curriculum improvement.

(2) An NSF sponsored project to assess learning using student-created electronic portfolios.

Bergman, K., V.L. Porter; L. Poklop, S. Aman, S. Noyes, and J. F. Woolfson Curriculum Improvement in Practice-Based Biology Programs Using Student E-Portfolios: A Progress Report. In: Proceedings of the National STEM Assessment Conference: Washington, DC, October 19-21 2006. Chief editors: Donald Deeds and Bruce Callen. Drury University 2007. [PDF]

Bergman, K. (2007) Bending toward light Ð Max and Beckett. Chapter 7 In: (Shropshire, W. Jr ed.) Max DelbrŸck and the New Perception of Biology 1906-1981: A Centenary Celebration University of Salamanca October 9-10, 2006. AuthorHouse.

Bergman, K., E. Nulty and L. Su. 1991. Mutations in the two flagellin genes of Rhizobium melitoti. J. Bacteriol. 173:3716-3723.

Bergman, K., M. Gulash-Hoffee, R.E. Hovestadt, R.C. Larosiliere, P.G.Ronco III, L. Su. 1988. Physiology of behavioral mutants of Rhizobium meliloti: Evidence for a dual chemotaxis pathway. J. Bacteriol. 170:3249-3254.

Ziegler, R.J., C. Peirce, and K. Bergman. 1986. Mapping and cloning of a fla/che region of the Rhizobium meliloti chromosome. J. Bacteriol. 168:785-790.

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