Dr. Michael Temkin
Associate Professor of Biology and Department Co-Chair
Office: Johnson Hall of Science Room 229
Phone: (315) 229-5871, fax: 315-229-7429
email: mtemkin@stlawu.edu

Education and Postdoctoral Research Experience:

Postdoctoral Fellow, Smithsonian Marine Station at Link Port, Ft. Pierce, FL (1996-1997)

Research Associate, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (1995-1996)

Postdoctoral Scholar in Molecular Biology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA (1990-1993)

Ph. D. Biology: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (1983-1991)

M.S. Biology: The American University, Washington, D.C. (1981-1983)

B.S. Biology: The American University, Washington, D.C. (1978-1981)

Courses Offered:

Genetics BIOL 246

Developmental Biology BIOL 312

Evolution BIOL 343

Research Methods in Molecular Biology BIOL 395

Research Interests:

I am interested in the reproduction, development, and evolution of both invertebrates and vertebrates. My current research addresses questions concerning how freshwater and marine invertebrates fertilize their eggs, how fertilized eggs develop into different life cycle stages (e.g., larva, juvenile, and adult), and how larval dispersal affects geographic genetic diversity. The techniques that I use in my research include microscopy, both normal and high speed video, and molecular techniques.

Students in my lab have conducted research on a wide variety of topics. Many of the students I have worked with in recent years have studied either the population genetics of freshwater mussels in northern New York (Amy Soden Armstrong, Heidi Moore Cook, Marcy Nelson, Timothy Bouchard, Brendan Hayes, Sean Buturla, and Nate Twichell) or gene expression during the postnatal development of the rat brainstem (Matthew Sarsfield, Andrew Sullivan, Anna Bosco, Amy Tarvestad, Lauren Greene, Angela Nortz, Michael Williams, Cami Michaud, Ester Ndugo, Greg Kruper, Rachel Putman, Audrey Merriam). I have also mentored students who have investigated the promoter sequences of the LOX genes in rats (Matt Benard), feeding behavior in the aquatic insect Belastoma (Brian Henry), the evolution of the PIN genes in the lower vascular plant Selaginella (Jessica Henty), genetic differences between high and low altitude populations of the medicinal plant species Aristolochia salvadorensis (Elissa Ladd and Stacy Chiappinelli), population genetics of two freshwater snails (Mary St. Martin), and aspects of gymnolaemate bryozoan development and evolution (Mohan Babapulle and Kristienna Martin). A number of the students who have worked with me on research projects have presented their findings at national meetings (see below).

I am happy to collaborate with any student on a research project in the areas of developmental biology, invertebrate biology, genetics, molecular biology, marine biology and/or evolution. If you are interested in working with me on a research project (either one that you have in mind or one that we develop together) please contact me by email, phone, or just stop by my office.

Selected Papers and Abstracts (Undergraduate Student Coauthors are in Bold):

Temkin, M. H. (in press) "Bryozoans" In Encyclopedia of Tidepools, M. W. Denny and S. D. Gaines (eds.). University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.

Temkin, M.H., N. P. Twichell, and J.M. Erickson 2005. Contemporary gene flow and historic events have produced geographic associations of genetic variation in populations of the freshwater mussel Elliptio complanata from northern New York. Integr. Comp. Biol. 45: 1202.

Temkin, M. H. and S. Bortolami 2004. The waveform dynamics of spermatozeugmata during the transfer from paternal to maternal individuals of Membranipora membranacea. Biol. Bull. 206: 35-45.

Erlichman, J. S., M. H. Temkin, T. Budd, J. C. Leiter 2003. Gial modulation of neural excitablility in the medulla: the Ransom hypothesis re-revisited. Exp. Biol.

Hayes, B. M., Erickson, J. M., and Temkin, M. H. 2003. A nested cladistic analysis of the geographical distribution of mitochondrial DNA haploptypes of the freshwater mussel Elliptio complanata from northern New York . Integr. Comp. Biol. 43: 868.

Michaud, C. C., Putman, R. K., Leiter, J. C., Putman, R. W., Ritucci, N. A., Erlichman, J. S., and Temkin, M. H. 2003. Expression of the GFAP gene during postnatal development of the rat medulla. Integr. Comp. Biol. 43: 939.

Temkin, M. H. 2002. The effects of increased external Ca ++ and K + concentrations on the waveform dynamics of bryozoan spermatozeugmata. pp. 315-320 In Bryozoan Studies 2001: Proceedings of the 12th International Bryozoology Association Conference, P. Wyse-Jackson, C. J. Buttler, and M. E. Spencer Jones (eds.), A.A. Balkema Publishers, Lisse, The Netherlands .

Temkin, M. H. and R. L. Zimmer 2002. Phylum Bryozoa. pp. 411-427 In Atlas of Marine Invertebrate Larvae, C. Young (ed.), Academic Press, San Diego .

Ladd, E. M., S. M. Chiappinelli, C. R. Ramirez-Sosa, and M. H. Temkin 2001. Aristolochia salvadorensis (Aristolochiacaea) an endemic medicinal plant species of El Salvador . Ethnobiology ( http://ethnobiology.org/ethnobiology2001/ )

Temkin, M. H., M. L. Nelson, A. Snell, and J. M. Erickson 2000. Genetic variation in the freshwater mussel Elliptio complanata from Northern New York . Amer. Zool. 40: 1231.

Temkin, M. H. 1996. Comparative fertilization biology of gymnolaemate bryozoans. Marine Biology 127: 329-339.

Temkin, M. H. 1994. Gamete spawning and fertilization in Membranipora membranacea. Biol. Bull. 187: 143-155.

Temkin, M. H. and S. P. Bhat 1993. Characterization of a novel centrosomin-like protein sharing epitopes with a B-crystallin. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 34(4): 1341.

Bhat, S. P., A. N. Srinivasan, and M. H. Temkin 1992. a -Crystallins: evolution and expression. Experimental Eye Research 55 (suppl. 1): S.150.

Stanhope, H. S., W. C. Banta and M. H. Temkin 1982. Size-specific emergence of the marsh snail L. irrorata: effect of predation by blue crabs in a Virginia salt marsh. Gulf Res. Rept. 7(2): 179-182.

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