Introduction
Teaching Interests
Research Interests
Educational Background
Schedule
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School of Natural & Social Sciences
Sandra Sharp
Professor
Office: 316 La Kretz Hall (Annenberg Science
Complex)
Phone: 323.343.2072
FAX: 323.343.6451
Email: ssharp@calstatela.edu
INTRODUCTION
Dr. Sharp obtained her Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from the
University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine, and her
postdoctoral training in Molecular Biology in the Division of Chemistry
at California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. In addition to her
teaching and research endeavors at Cal State, LA, Dr. Sharp works with
faculty from CSU campuses statewide to enhance CSU biotechnology
teaching and research programs. She is a
member of the Strategic Planning Council for the California State
University
Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology (CSUPERB).
TEACHING INTERESTS
The classes Dr. Sharp teaches include Principles of Gene
Manipulation,
Molecular Diagnostics, From Concept to Market (a survey of the biotech
industry), and a graduate level lab in Genetic Engineering. She
coordinates programs for graduate and
post-baccalaureate students in the Biotechnology Certificate Program,
has worked with other faculty to develop offerings and opportunities in
bioinformatics, is a campus liaison for the Stem Cell
Internship Program and the Master's
in Biotechnology. She can also be contacted for
information on programs currently being developed to
provide training for Clinical
Laboratory Scientist generalist license
as well as the specialist license for Clinical
Genetic Molecular
Biologist Scientist. In addition, she
provides research training to
undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Biological
Sciences.
Principles
of Gene Manipulation
Molecular
Diagnostics
From
Concept to Market
Introduction
to Cell Culture
RESEARCH INTERESTS
An important goal in biomedical research is to understand the
molecular
pathways and mechanisms that regulate development, particularly those
that regulate
the transition from cell proliferation to cell differentiation. Our
model
system is muscle development or myogenesis. We
currently have two major projects supported by grant
funding from the
National Institutes of Health. The first
uses whole animals and molecular studies to test the hypothesis that
either the
generally expressed tumor suppressor transcription factor p53 or the
muscle-specific transcription factor MyoD must be expressed for
successful
completion of myogenesis in vivo. The
second uses an ultra-high throughput ChIP-Seq approach to understand
the
regulatory mechanisms involved in controlling binding of MyoD to DNA as
cells
stop dividing and develop into muscle. We aspire to contribute to the
understanding of the mechanisms that regulate normal differentiation in
order
to enable the development of successful medical approaches to both
developmental disorders and cancer.
Dr. Sharp has had the good fortune to have had many wondereful
students in her lab. Some have gone on to complete advanced
degrees. Many are already making their contributions in industry,
academia, and the health professions.
A role for p53/MyoD redundancy during myogenesis?
This project, funded by the National Institute for Athritis and
Musculo-Skeletal Disease, is based in part upon
our work published
in In Vitro (the third reference in the list below). MyoD is a
protein
expressed exclusively in premuscle cells. Its expression and
activation
help to move pre-muscle cells down the pathway to becoming muscle.
p53
is a tumor suppressor protein which can be expressed in all cells in
response
to various stresses. Recent work from other labs and ours,
however,
raise the possibility that it can be involved in normal differentiative
processes
such as myogenesis. Students Kevin Chau, Liz Im, Selma Cuya,
Zeina Naser, and
Mark Lopez are working
on this project.
Genomic identification of myogenic regulatory networks
We have been collaborating with the laboratory of Barbara Wold at
Caltech to
identify genome-wide myogenic regulatory features by means of chromatin
immunoprecipitation followed by direct sequencing (ChIP-Seq). We
now have additional funding to expand this project and will be
asking, on a genome-wide scale, whether the mechanisms that affect MyoD
binding differ among bindng sites with respect to the involvement of
specific co-regulatory molecules. Biological Sciences students
Kevin Chau, Cynthia Reyes, and Maraliz Fischler-Barraza, and Computer
Science student Hardik Modi are working on this project.
Regulation of expression of the Id2 gene during myogenesis
In another project, we have been investigating which regions of the
promoter for mouse Inhibitor of differentiation/DNA binding 2 (Idb2)
are important for its expression in pre-muscle cells. Current
students Luis Castellon, Jose Demetrio Vargas, Tram Duong, and
Margarita Boiadjian are putting
what we
expect to be final touches on this project.
Representative Professional Activities
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Date
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Publications
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2007
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Krilowicz, B.,
W. Johnston,
S.B. Sharp, N. Warter-Perez, J. Momand.
A summer program designed
to educate college students for careers in bioinformatics. CBE–Life Sciences Education 6:74-83.
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| 2002 |
Sharp, S.B., M. Villalvazo, A. Espinosa, S. Damle, X.
Padilla, J. Hartono, R. Gonzalez, S. Vu. BC3H1 myogenic cells
produce an infectious ecotropic murine leukemia virus. In Vitro
Cell. Dev. Biol.--Animal
38:378-381.
This article was chosen for highlighting by the Society for In Vitro
Biology. |
| 2002 |
Sharp, S.B., M. Villalvazo, M. Huang, R. Gonzalez,
R. Alarcon, M. Bahamonde, D. D'Agostin, S. Damle, A. Espinosa, S. Han,
J. Liu, P.
Navarro, H. Salguero, J. Son, S. Vu. Further characterization of
BC3H1 myogenic cells reveals lack of p53 activity and underexpression
of several p53 regulated and extracellular matrix associated gene
products.
In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol.--Animal 38:382-393. |
| 1999 |
Green, N., S. Vu, S. Farahmand, and S.B. Sharp.
(1999) Limited T4 Exonuclease Activity and Partial Fill-in Expand
Insertion Site Options for PCR Subcloning. Biotechniques 27:914-916. |
| 1999 |
McQueen, N.L, and S.B. Sharp (1999) Molecular
Diagnostics -- an upper division/graduate course. Biochemical Education
27:145-149. |
| 1995 |
Sharp, S.B., S. Kim, M. Lee, L. Sunday, E. Enriquez,
M. Villalvazo, A. Ghebremedhin, L.S. Carvajal, P. Momjian, and S.
Avari. (1995) Culture of C2C12 and BC3H1 myogenic cells with
iron-supplemented calf serum; rapid media screen. In Vitro Cell. Dev.
Biol.--Animal 31:749-751. |
| 1992 |
Sharp, S.B., A. Vazquez, M. Theimer, D.K. Silva,
S.R. Muscati, M. Sylber, and M. Mogassa (1992). The levels of vascular
smooth as well as skeletal muscle actin mRNAs differ substantially
among both myoblast
and fibroblast lines with different skeletal myogenic potentials.
Cellular
and Molecular Biology 38: 485-504. |
| 1989 |
Sharp, S.B., T.A. Kost, S.H. Hughes, and N. Davidson
(1989). Regulation of chicken a and b actin genes and their hybrids
inserted into myogenic mouse cells. GENE 80: 293-304. |
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Relatively Recent
Awards
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2006
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Distinguished Women Award,
Cal State LA
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2005
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Anthony Andreoli Faculty Service Award
from Statewide CSU Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology
(CSUPERB)
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EDUCATIONAL
BACKGROUND
Post-doctoral training
Division of Chemistry, Caltech, Pasadena, CA
Ph.D. Biological Chemistry 1981
 UCLA, School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
B.A. Zoology 1967
University of California, Berkeley, CA
Fall 2010 Schedule
| Course |
Sect. No. |
Title |
Units |
Day & Time |
Room |
BIOL417
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Principles of Gene Manipulation
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4
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MWF 9:50 AM
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BIOS 244
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BIOL454
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Introduction to Cell
Culture
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4
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MW 1:30; F 2:30
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ASCL 230
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OFFICE HOURS - in 316
LaKretz Hall
| Day |
Time |
T
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8:30 - 9:30 AM: drop-in for students in classes
only
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W
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4:15 - 4:45 PM:
drop-in for students in classes only
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W
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4:45 - 6:15: must
make appointment Biological Sciences Office for advisement
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