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Dr. Rebecca Roberts
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology and Coordinator of BCMB Program

Research Interests

EDUCATION

University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
Ph.D.  Molecular & Cellular Biology, 1998
Thesis: Toward an antibody peptidase: Mechanistic studies of peptide-bond hydrolysis.

Clark University, Worcester, MA.
B.A. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, 1991. 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

COURSES TAUGHT

FUNDED GRANTS
 

Merck Research Laboratory Bioprocess Research and Development Undergraduate Research Grant.  $3500 to support two research students in my laboratory; active May 2006-June 2007.

National Institutes of Health AREA Grant.  "Estrogen and Bisphenol A Modulation of Cathepsins." Three-year grant ($50,000/year) to support my research program including summer research students.  Awarded September 2005.

Merck/AAAS Undergraduate Student Research Program.  Three-year grant ($20,000/year) to support student research (including summer fellows and travel money) at the interface of Biology and Chemistry.  Funded for 2005-2007.

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS 
(note former name of Bryant; * indicates student author)

Roberts, R.A., E. Behrens, M. Heayn* and S. Gallucci (2006)
Effect of Estrogen and Bisphenol A Exposure on Murine Bone-Marrow Derived Dendritic Cells. 
Manuscript in preparation.

Biswanger, C.*, L. Davis* and R.A. Roberts (2006) 
Estrogenic Impurities in Tissue Culture Plastic Ware Are Not Bisphenol A.
In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology-Animal. In Press.

Quitmeyer, A.* and R.A. Roberts (2006) 
Babies, Bottles and Bisphenol A: The Story of a Scientist and a Mother. 
Essay in proposed book titled Science and Social Justice.  Submitted to editor. 

Roberts, R.A. (2005)
Lysosomal Cysteine Proteases: Structure, Function and Inhibition of Cathepsins. 
Drug News & Perspectives. 18(10):605-614. (Invited Review)

Roberts, R.A. (2004)
Project-based Laboratories that Integrate Bioinformatics Complement a Liberal Arts Education.  Transformations: Liberal Arts in the Digital Age Vol. 2 No. 1.

Roberts, R.A. (2004)
Incorporating the Project BEDROCK HIV Problem Space into an Undergraduate Structural Biology Curriculum. 
Project BEDROCK (Bioinformatic Education Dissemination: Reaching Out, Connecting, and Knitting-together), an NSF-funded web-based publication (http://www.bioquest.org:16080/bedrock/).

Lennon-Dumenil, A-M., R.A.Roberts, K. Valentijn, C. Driessen, H.S. Overkleeft, A. Erickson, P.J. Peters, E. Bikoff, H.L. Ploegh, and P.W. Bryant (2001)
The p41 Isoform of Invariant Chain is a Chaperone for Cathepsin L.
EMBO J. 20(15):4055-4064.

Roberts, R.A., Z. Wang, R. Plourde, D.E. Hansen, and R.J. Sugasawara. (2001)
RJS8-1, Mouse Monoclonal to FK-520 (Ascomycin).
Hybridoma 20(3):207-208.

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.

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).

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS
(* designates student co-authors, presenters are underlined, poster unless otherwise noted)

                       2006

      Zimmer, D.*, Stanert, W.* and R.A. Roberts. 
      An assessment of cathepsin activity via the active-site directed probe
      DCG-04. 
      Mid-Atlantic Pharmacology Society Meeting 
      King of Prussia, PA, October 27.

      Davis, L* and R.A. Roberts. 
      Upregulation of actin by estrogen and the endocrine disrupting chemical    bisphenol A preclude its use as a loading control in endocrine studies. 
 Mid-Atlantic Pharmacology Society Meeting
 King of Prussia, PA, October 27.

      Heayn, M.* and R.A. Roberts. 
      Estrogen, Bisphenol A, and the Immune Response: Estrogen response  elements and B lymphocytes. 
      9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Chemical and  Biological Sciences,
       University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD.  October 14.  (Awarded second place)

Roberts, R.A., Lenhart, R.*, Scipioni, B.*, Davis, L.*, Mellert, H.*, Heayn, M.*, and Getnet, D.* 
A feedback regulatory loop for estrogen receptors in splenocytes from a murine model for Systemic Lupus Erythematosis. 
American Association of Immunologists Annual Meeting, Boston, MA.
May 21-24. 

Falkowski, D.M.*, Zimmer, D.*, Seegar, T.*, Ruttledge, T., and R.A. Roberts.  The partial synthesis of the cysteine protease inhibitor biotin-LHVS. 
Sigma Xi Research Symposium, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA. March 21.

Roberts, R.A.
Smoking, Sex and a Tan: Not So Cool After All.  Free Community Lecture Series. 
Royersford Free Library, Royersford, PA.  Oral Presentation and Discussion.  January 10.

2005

Lenhart, R*, Scipioni, B.*, Heayn, M.*, Mellert, H.*, Getnet, D.*,
and R.A. Roberts. 
Estrogen Receptor Alpha is Upregulated by Estradiol In Murine Splenocytes. 
3rd Annual Retreat of the A.J. Drexel Institute of Basic and Applied
Protein Science, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, June 16. (poster)

Scipioni, B*, Heayn, M.*, Lenhart, R.*, Mellert, H.*, Getnet, D.*,
and R.A. Roberts. 
Estrogen Receptor Alpha is Upregulated by Estradiol In Murine Splenocytes.  Society for In Vitro Biology Annual Conference, Baltimore, MD, June 5-6. (poster)

Davis, L.*, Biswanger, C.* and R.A. Roberts. 
Estrogenic Activity in Tissue Culture Plates Is Not Due To
Leaching of Bisphenol A. 
Society for In Vitro Biology Annual Conference, Baltimore, MD, June 5-6. (poster)

Biswanger, C.*, Davis, L.*, and R.A. Roberts. 
Estrogenic Impurities in Tissue Culture Plates Is Not Due to
Leaching of Bisphenol A. 
2005 Tri-Beta northeast District 2 Convention, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ, April 9.
(poster; awarded Honorable Mention in the John C. Johnson Award for Excellence in Student Research)

Roberts, R.A.
Using Protein Explorer in the Biology Classroom.  "Bioinformatics in Biology Education: Working with Sequence, Structure and Function". 
Interactive workshop of Project BEDROCK for biology, chemistry, biochemistry and computer science faculty on how to integrate bioinformatics into their courses. 
Oklahoma City, OK, January 6-8. 
Invited speaker.

2004

Roberts, R.A.. 
Learn How to Make Your Class a BLAST. 
Educational Workshop. 
American Society for Cell Biology Annual Conference, Washington D.C. 
December 4-8. 
Invited speaker.

Roberts, R.A.  
Teaching Structures with Protein Explorer. 
Educational Demonstration. 
Education Committee/Minorities Affairs Booth. 
American Society for Cell Biology Annual Conference, Washington D.C.  December 4-8. 
Invited presenter.

Biswanger, C.* and R.A. Roberts. 
Estrogenic Impurities in Tissue Culture Plates Are Not Due To Bisphenol A.  American Society for Cell Biology Annual Conference, Washington D.C. December 4-8. (poster)

Roberts, R.A. and T. Driscoll. 
Teaching Protease Structure and Function with Physical and Computer 3D Models in Undergraduate Laboratories. 
American Society for Cell Biology Annual Conference, Washington DC.  December 4-8. (poster)

Ryan Lenhart*, Brett Scipioni*, Hestia Mellert*, Derese Getnet*,
and Rebecca A. Roberts. 
Estradiol upregulated estrogen receptor alpha in murine splenocytes. 

Ryan Lenhart*, Brett Scipioni*, Hestia Mellert*, Derese Getnet*,
and Rebecca A. Roberts. 
Estrogen Receptor Alpha is Upregulated in Murine Splenocytes
Exposed to Estradiol. 
Mid-Atlantic Pharmacology Society Meeting. 
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Collegeville, PA, October 15.
(poster; awarded second place in undergraduate division)

Roberts, R.A. and T. Driscoll. 
Teaching Protease Structure and Function with Physical and Computer 3D Models in Undergraduate Laboratories. 
Council on Undergraduate Research 2004 Annual Meeting on "Crossing Boundaries, Innovations in Undergraduate Research", University of Wisconsin,
La Crosse, June 23-26. (poster)

Getnet, D.*, Lazo, E.*, Mellert, H.*, Scipioni, B.* and R.A. Roberts. 
Effect of Estradiol and Bisphenol-A on Protein Expression in
Murine Immune Cells. 
Thomas Jefferson University Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research Conference, Philadelphia, PA. March 18. (poster)

2003

Mellert, T.*,Scipioni, B.*, and R.A. Roberts. 
Expression of Estrogen Receptors on Dendritic Cells. 
American Society for Cell Biology Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.  December 13-17. (poster).

Roberts, R.A., Focusing on Cathepsins: Characterization and Application of an Active-Site Probe to Study Cysteine Proteases.
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA.  October 16. 
Invited speaker. 

Getnet, D.*, E. Lazo*, H. Mellert*, B. Scipioni*, C. Biswanger*, A. DiBona*, A. Virtue* and R.A. Roberts. 
Effect of Estrogen and Bisphenol-A on Cathespin Expression and General Protein Expression in Murine Immune Cells. 
Annual Meeting of The Endocrine Society, Philadelphia, PA. June 19-21. (poster)

Roberts, R.A.
Focusing on Cathepsins: Characterization and Application of an Active-Site Probe to Study Cysteine Proteases. 
Department of Biology, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA.  April 17. 
Invited speaker. 

2002

Getnet, D.*, E. Lazo*, and R.A. Roberts. 
Effect of Estradiol and Bisphenol A on Protein Expression in
Murine Immune Cells. 
American Society for Cell Biology for Cell Biology Annual Conference,
San Francisco, CA. 
December 14-18. (poster)

Roberts, R.A.
Visualizing Cathepsins-Characterization and Application of a Radiolabeled Active-Site Directed Probe. 
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, DuPont Hospital for Children,
Wilmington, DE.  October 14. 
Invited speaker.

Roberts, R.A., J. McMaster, S. Chin, M. Bogyo, H. Ploegh. 
A Radiolabeled Active-Site Directed Probe Specific for Cathepsins. 
Gordon Research Conference on Lysosomes, Andover, NY. 
June 23-27. (poster)

2001

Bryant, R.A.R., S. Shin, M. Bogyo, J. McMaster, and H.L. Ploegh. 
Synthesis, Characterization and Application of a New Radiolabeled
Cysteine Protease Inhibitor. 
Proteolysis & Biological Control, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory,
Cold Spring Harbor, NY. May 2-6. (poster)

Lennon-Dumenil, A-M., R.A.R. Bryant, C. Driessen, A. Erickson., E. Bikoff, H.L. Ploegh, and P.W. Bryant. 
MHC Class II-Associated Invariant Chain is Required for Cathepsin L
Activity in Antigen Presenting Cells. 
Proteolysis & Biological Control, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory,
Cold Spring Harbor, NY.  May 2-6. (poster)

Bryant, R.A.R.
Lysosomal Proteases: Roles in the Immune System and Disease. 
Department of Biology, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME, January. 
Invited speaker. 

2000

Bryant, R.A.R.
Gone Fishin': Discovering the Enzyme that Releases the Angiogenesis Inhibitor Endostatin.
Department of Biology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN, September. 
Invited speaker. 

Bryant, R.A.R., C. Driessen, S. Shin, M. Bogyo, and H.L. Ploegh. 
Active-site Labeling of Cathepsin S in Dendritic Cells. 
Biology of Proteolysis Meeting, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory,
Cold Spring Harbor, NY.  May 5-9. (poster)

1998

Bryant, R.A.R.
Proteases Important in Antigen Processing and Presentation.
Molecular and Cellular Biology Annual Retreat, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, March.  Byron Prize acceptance seminar.

1996

Bryant, R.A.R. and D.E. Hansen. 
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, February. (poster)