Introduction Teaching Interests Research Interests Educational Background Schedule		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   Date Publications 2007 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. 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. Relatively Recent Awards 2006 Distinguished Women Award, Cal State LA 2005 Anthony Andreoli Faculty Service Award from Statewide CSU Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology (CSUPERB) 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 Principles of Gene Manipulation   4  MWF 9:50 AM BIOS 244 BIOL454 Introduction to Cell Culture   4 MW 1:30; F 2:30 ASCL 230 OFFICE HOURS  - in 316 LaKretz Hall   Day Time T 8:30 - 9:30 AM:  drop-in for students in classes only W 4:15 - 4:45 PM:  drop-in for students in classes only W 4:45 - 6:15:  must make appointment  Biological Sciences Office for advisement

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