Nurul Alam, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor of Biology
Education
· B.S. Honors (Biology), University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1986
· M. Sc. (Microbiology), University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1988
· M. S. (Biotechnology), Shinshu University, Japan, 1994
· Ph.D. (Biological Resources), Gifu University, Japan, 1998
Training
· Postdoctoral Fellow, University of British Columbia, Vancouver (1998-1999)
· Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Texas Health Center, Tyler, Texas (1999-2002)
· Summer Training, Effective Teaching in Environmental Science, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts (2004)
· Summer Training, Enhancing Science Education and Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas (2005)
Teaching
2006-present: Texas A&M University-Texarkana
2002-2006: Jarvis Christian College, Hawkins, Texas
· Microbiology
· Botany
· Cell and Molecular Biology
· Genetics
· General Ecology
· Invertebrate Zoology
· Biochemistry
· General Biology I & II
Research Interests
· Microbiological Assessment of Water Quality in Bodies of Water in East Texas
· Bacterial Source Tracking (BST) in Recreational Water in East Texas
· Molecular Mechanisms of Functions of Human Factor H
Research Funding
· Community Impact Program (Obesity and Nutrition), United Negro College Fund Special Programs (UNCF-SP), $55,000, 2006-2008 (Principal Investigator).
· Identifying Sources of Fecal Bacteria in Selected Bodies of Water in East Texas, Henry C. McBay Research Fellowship (UNCF College Fund), 2006-2007, $12,000 (Principal Investigator).
Selected Publications
1. Alam, M. N., Haque, A., Sreedhar, M., Pangburn, M. K., A novel vector for the expression of SCR domains in insect cells, Journal of Immunological Methods, 293, 107-113. 2004.
2. Alam, M. N., Berhane K., Boggaram V., Lung surfactant protein B promoter function is dependent on the helical phasing, orientation and combinatorial actions of cis-DNA elements, Gene, 282, 103-111, 2002.
3. Adams, C.* Alam, M. N.* Starcher, B. and Boggaram, V. Rabbit surfactant protein B genomic regions that confer lung-cell specific and developmentally inducible expression in transgenic mice (*equally contributing authors), American Journal of Physiology: Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, 280, L724–L731, 2001.
4. Margana, R., Kiflu, B. Alam, M. N., Boggaram, V. Identification of functional TTF-1 and Sp1/Sp3 sites in the upstream promoter region of rabbit SP-B gene. American Journal of Physiology: Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, 278, L477-L484, 2000.
5. Alam, M. N., Tadasa, K., Kayahara, H. Organic solvents cause spectral changes and pKa shifts of Thermolysin in peptide synthesis in aqueous-organic one-phase reaction system. Biotechnology Techniques, 12, 115-118, 1998.
6. Amar, E., Tadasa, K., Alam, M. N., Kayahara, H., Ujihara, A. Acquired Thermolysin stabilization by lowering in pH and dielectric constant resulting from temperature increase in the Z-Phe-Phe-OMe synthesis. Biotechnology Techniques, 12, 491-496, 1998.
7. Alam, M. N., Koji Tadasa , Tomoyuki Maeda and Kayahara, H. Thermolysin activation by water-miscible organic solvents in aqueous-organic one-phase reaction system is not governed by their physical or physicochemical parameters implying the role of specific groups and/or atoms, The Journal of Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University, 35, 35-40, 1998.
8. Alam, M. N., Tadasa, K., Maeda, T., Kayahara, H. Correlation of inhibition of Thermolysin by water-miscible alcoholic solvents with their physiochemical parameters and the status of monoalcoholic character of water in peptide synthesis of Z-Phe-Phe-Ome in water-organic one-phase reaction system. Biotechnology Letters, 19, 1129-1133, 1997.
9. Alam, M. N., Tadasa, K., Kayahara, H. Kinetics of inhibition of Thermolysin- catalyzed peptide synthesis in aqueous-organic one-phase reaction system. Biotechnology Letters. 19, 563-568, 1997.
10. Alam, M. N., Koji Tadasa and Kayahara, H. The effects of ketonic organic solvents on Thermolysin: A Spectrophotometric Approach, The Journal of Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University, Vol. 34, 31-37, 1997.
11. Tadasa, K., Alam, M. N., Kayahara, H. The effect of organic solvents on thermolysin-catalyzed peptide synthesis of Z-Phe-Phe-OMe in aqueous-organic one-phase reaction system. Research Signpost, 1, 291-307, 1997.
12. Alam, M. N., Tadasa, K., Kayahara, H. Kinetic behavior of activation of Thermolysin by normal alcohols. Biotechnology Letters, 18, 45-50, 1996.
Conference Abstracts/Presentations
1. Alam, M. N., Barnes, Angela, Brannon, Marcus, Collier, Ashley, Jackson, Dawnette Smith, Rosaylin and Glendora Carter, Microbiological Aspects of Water Quality in an East Texas Creek, 22nd Annual Conference, Bangladesh Society of Microbiologists, May 26-27, 2006, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
2. Pangburn, MK, Sreedhar, M., Alam, M. N., Rawal, N., Herbert, A., and Haque, A. Functional analysis of each of the three C3b binding sites of factor H and comparison with full length factor H. XXth International Complement Workshop, 13-18th June 2004, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
3. Pippens, E., Ondiek, J., Payne, J., Carter, G., Muniruzzaman, M. and Alam, M. N. (2002), Water Quality Monitoring: An Important Tool to Sustain Our Natural Resource, 3rd Annual Undergraduate Science & Engineering Conference (USEC) and NSF Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP), November 22-24, 2002. Tuskegee, Alabama, USA.
4. Boggaram, V., Alam, M. N., Adams, C. and Starcher, B. . Rabbit surfactant protein B genomic regions that confer lung-cell specific and developmentally inducible expression in transgenic mice. 2000 FASEB Summer Research Conference, July 1-6, Vermont, USA.
5. Alam. M. N., Madea. T. Tadasa, K. and Kayahara, H. Correlation of activation or inhibition of Thermolysin by organic solvents with their physicochemical parameters. Annual Conference of the Japan Society for Bioscience Biochemistry and Biotechnology, March 29-31, 1997, Tokyo, Japan.
6. Alam, M. N., Tadasa, K. and Kayahara, H. Kinetic Behavior of activation of Thermolysin by normal alcohols. International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies (Pacifichem), December 17-22, Hawaii, USA.
Contact Information
· Office: UHS 110, P. O. Box 1307, 1735 Chapel Hill Road, Mount Pleasant, Texas 75456-1307
· Tel: 903-434-8365 (office)
· E-mail: nurul.alam@tamut.edu