Information For Prospective Graduate Students Interested in Dr. Plopper's Laboratory

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General expectations Projects available Techniques currently in use Resources available Travel/Attendance at meetings Funding Teaching Outcomes: What are my former students doing now?

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General expectations:

My management style is largely hands-off. I generally meet with graduate students in one-on-one sessions about once a week, or more often as necessary. While students are not expected to be in the lab during proscribed hours, it is important that our work hours overlap enough that we see each other daily. This relatively informal mentoring style leaves students a great deal of freedom to manage their time. With this freedom comes the responsibility of effectively balancing school and personal responsibilities such that sufficient time and energy can be devoted to research. Graduate students in this laboratory typically spend about 50-60 hours per week doing research. The average time to obtain a Ph.D. in my lab is four years.

All members of the Plopper lab are expected to be good citizens, and to conduct themselves as professionals. Graduate students are expected to mentor undergraduate students. All graduate students in the Biology Department at Rensselaer must of course adhere to all Institute policies. Many of the policies most applicable to graduate students can be found in the Graduate Student Handbook.

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Projects available:

Please see the Research Projects section of the laboratory web page for a description of current projects. We are always interested in considering new projects as well. Prospective students interested in developing new projects should contact me to discuss them in detail.

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Techniques currently in use:

Most of the techniques we use can be generally grouped under the heading of "Cell and Molecular Biology." Although this not an exhaustive list, here are some of the techniques we use:

• Cell culture: Mammalian and bacterial cell culture, cell freezing and thawing.

• Microscopy: Phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy, including confocal microscopy.

• Cell signaling: Protein kinase assays, fluorescence-based Ca⁺² assays

• Protein biochemistry: SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, affinity chromatography, immunoprecipitation, proteomics.

• Molecular biology: cloning, RT-PCR, qRT-PCR, PCR, retrovirus-based protein expression, DNA microarray analysis, DNA transfection.

• Cell behavior: Adhesion assays, migration assays.

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Resources available:

The laboratory is currently stocked with the following equipment items.

• Sterile cell culture hood
  
• Cell culture incubators, CO₂ tanks, regulator
  
• Olympus phase contrast microscope (cell culture).
  
• Liquid nitrogen freezer
  
• Zeiss HM505EVP automated cryostat
  
• Leica DM LB HC 100 TL fluorescence/phase contrast microscope with digital SPOT camera and associated Gateway Pentium II computer with color printer.
  
• Refrigerator (4°C)
  
• Freezer (-20°C)
  
• Personal computers + printers
  
• Digitizing scanner
  
• Constant temperature water baths
  
• Clinical centrifuge
  
• Micro-centrifuges (2)
  
• pH meter
  
• Laboratory mixing/rocking platforms (2)
  
• Laboratory microbalance
  
• Laboratory stir/hot plates (3)
  
• Heat block
  
• Horizontal and vertical electrophoresis equipment, with power supplies, suitable for all types of electrophoresis, from minigels to two-dimensional electrophoresis to DNA sequencing and differential display
  
• BioRad semidry transfer apparatus
  
• Gel dryer
  
• Bacterial incubator
  

In addition, shared departmental equipment includes ultracentrifuges, an X ray film processor, -80°C freezer, etc. The campus has superb computing access and services.

Finally, we also have access to the multitude of core facilities available in the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, as well as at nearby campuses.

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Travel/Attendance at meetings:

Graduate students are expected to produce enough data to present a poster at a national meeting each year. Travel to meetings is supported by internal and external grants.

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Funding:

Students are initially supported by either laboratory or institutional funds, but are actively encouraged to apply for external, predoctoral grants while in the laboratory. Previous students have received support for research as well as travel to meetings, totalling over $100,000.

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Teaching:

Students are required to teach in an undergraduate laboratory course for at least one semester. Students interested in additional teaching may do so upon arrangement with me. Students not supported by external funding may be required to teach as part of their departmental support.

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Outcomes: What are my former students doing now?

Karl Kingsley received his Ph.D. in the Spring of 2001 while I was at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Following his postdoctal research at Stanford Medical  School in Palo Alto, CA, he is now Assistant Professor at the Universioty of Nevada School of Dental Medicine.

Johanna (Jody) Wagner received her M.S. in the summer of 2001 while I was at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She received her M.D. from the University of Nevada School of Medicine in 2006 and is doing her internship in Reno, Nevada.

Will Rust received his Ph.D. from UNLV in the Fall of 2001, then did a two year postdoctoral fellowship with Novartis, Inc. in Switzerland. He is curently a staff researcher with ES International in Singapore.

Roman Salasznyk received his Ph.D. from RPI in August 2005 and is currently a postdoctoral researcher with Dr. Paula McKeown-Longo at Albany Medical Center.

Sarah Earley received her Ph.D. from RPI in December 2006 as is currently interviewing for postdoctoral research positions.

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Last revised: Thursday, May 31, 2007