Biographical Sketch for Craig A. Vierra (PI)
A. Professional Preparation:
Institution
University of California at Davis
Modesto Junior College
University of California at Riverside
Degree Duration Field of Study
B.S.
1988-90 Biochemistry
1986-88
Ph.D.
1990-94 Biochemistry
B. Appointment:
1. Professor and Co-Chair, Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific (1994Present; Co-Chair 2005-Present)
a.
Research Area: Spider Silk Biology and Gene Expression
2. Graduate Research Assistant, Assistant Professor Christian Nelson and Stephen Spindler,
Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside (1990-1994)
a.
Research Area: Mammalian Gene Expression/ Molecular Endocrinology
3. Undergraduate Research, Professor Chester Price, Department of Biochemistry, University of
California, Davis
C. Publications: (*indicates undergraduate student)
1. Vasanthavada, K., Xu, X., Tuton-Blasingame, T., Hsia, Y., Sampath, S., Pacheco, R., Freeark, J.,
Falick, A.M., Tang, S., Fong*, J., Kohler, K., La Mattina-Hawkins and Vierra, C. Spider glue
proteins have distinct architectures compared with traditional spidroin family members. J. Biol.
Chem. 2012. 287: 35986-35999.
2. Gnesa, E., Hsia, Y., Yarger, J.L. Weber, W., Lin-Cereghino, J., Lin-Cereghino, G., Tang, S.,
Agari*, K., and Vierra, C. Conserved C-terminal domain of spider tubuliform spidroin 1
contributes to extensibility in synthetic fibers. Biomacromolecules. 2012. 13: 304-312.
3. Hsia, Y., Gnesa, E., Pacheco, R., Kohler, K., Jeffery, F., and Vierra, C. Synthetic spider silk
production on a laboratory scale. J Vis Exp. 2012. 65. Doi: 10.3791/4191.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22847722.
4. Hsia, Y., Gnesa, E., Jeffery, F., Tang, S., and Vierra, C. Spider Silk Composites and
Applications. Metal, Ceramic and Polymeric Composites for Various Uses. InTech. 2011. 2:
303-324.
5. Jeffery, F., La Mattina, C., Tuton-Blasingame, T., Hsia, Y., Gnesa, E., Zhao, L., Franz, A., and
Vierra, C. Microdissection of black widow spider silk-producing glands. J Vis Exp. 2011. 47:
1-6.
6. Geurts, P., Zhao, L., Hsia, Y., Gnesa, E., Tang, S., Jeffery, F., La Mattina, C., Franz, A., Larkin,
L., and Vierra, C. Synthetic Spider Silk Fibers Spun from Pyriform Spidroin 2, A Glue Silk
Protein Discovered in Orb-Weaving Spider Attachment Discs. Biomacromolecules. 2010. 11:
3495-503.
7. *Blasingame, E., Tuton-Blasingame, T., Larkin, L., Falick, A.M., Geurts, P., Hu, X., Zhao,
L.,*Vaidyanathan, V., *Visperas, A., La Mattina, C., and Vierra, C. Pyriform spidroin 1, a
novel member of the silk gene family that anchors dragline silk fibers in attachment discs of the
black widow spider, Latrodectus hesperus. J. Biol Chem. 2009. 284: 29097-29108.
8. *La Mattina C., Reza R., Hu X., Falick AM., Vasanthavada K., *McNary S., *Yee R., and
Vierra, C. Spider minor ampullate silk proteins are constituents of prey wrapping silk in the cob
weaver Latrodectus hesperus. Biochemistry. 2008. 47: 4692-700.
9. Vasanthavada, K., Hu, X., Falick, A.,*La Mattina, C., Moore, A. M. F., Jones, P.J., *Yee, R.,
Reza, R., Tuton, T., and Vierra, C. Aciniform Spidroin: A Constituent of Egg Case Sacs and
Wrapping Silk Fibers from the Black Widow Spider, Latrodectus hesperus. J Biol Chem. 2007.
282: 35088-35097.
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10. Hu, X., Yuan, J., Wang, X., Vasanthavada, K., Falick, A., Jones, P., *La Mattina, C., and Vierra,
C. Analysis of aqueous glue coating proteins on the silk fibers of the cob weaver, Latrodectus
hesperus. Biochemistry. 2007. 46: 3294-3303.
11. Hu, X., Kohler, K., Falick, A.M., Moore, A.M., Jones, P.R. and Vierra, C. 2006. Spider Egg
Case Core Fibers: Trimeric Complexes Assembled from TuSp1, ECP-1, and ECP-2.
Biochemistry 45, 3506-3516.
12. Hu, X., Vasanthavada, K., *Kohler, K., *McNary, S., Moore, M.F., and Vierra, C. Molecular
Mechanisms of Spider Silk (Invited Review). Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences. 2006. 63:
1986-1999.
13. Hu, X., *Kohler, K., Falick, A.M., Moore, A.M., Jones, P.R., Sparkman, O.D., and Vierra, C.
2005. Egg case protein-1. A new class of silk proteins with fibroin-like properties from the spider
Latrodectus hesperus. J Biol Chem 280, 21220-21230.
14. Hu, X., Lawrence, B., *Kohler, K., Falick, A.M., Moore, A.M.F., McMullen, E., Jones, P.R. and
Vierra, C.A. 2005. Araneoid Egg Case Silk: A Fibroin with Novel Ensemble Repeat Units
from the Black Widow Spider, Latrodectus hesperus. Biochemistry 44, 10020-10027.
15. *Kohler, K., *Thayer, W., *Le, T., *Sembhi, A., Vasanthavada, K., Moore, A.M., and Vierra,
C.A. (2005). Characterization of a Novel Class II bHLH Transcription Factor from the Black
Widow Spider, Latrodectus hesperus, with Silk-Gland Restricted Patterns of Expression. DNA
Cell Biol 24, 371-380.
16. Lawrence, B.A., Vierra, C.A., and Moore, A.M. (2004). Molecular and mechanical properties of
major ampullate silk of the black widow spider, Latrodectus hesperus. Biomacromolecules 5,
689-695.
17. *Wong, J., *Funes-Duran, M., *Ahlberg, J., Round, J., O'Connell, R., *Miller, R., *Chen, E.,
Richmond, P.A., and Vierra, C.A. (2001). Characterization of a basic helix-loop-helix protein,
ABF-1: nuclear localization, transcriptional properties, and interaction with Id-2. DNA Cell Biol
20, 465-471.
18. *Nguyen, L., Round, J., *Wong, J., O’Connell, R., *Funes-Duran, M., Jongeward, G., and C.
Vierra (2001). Isolation and Characterization of the ABF-1 homolog in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Nucleic Acid Research 29: 4423-4432.
19. Nguyen, L., Round, J., Wong, J., O’Connell, R., *Funes-Duran, M., Jongeward, G., and C.
Vierra. Isolation and Characterization of the ABF-1 homolog in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Nucleic Acid Res. 2001. 29: 4423-4432.
20. *Mitchell, B., *Mugiya, M., Youngblom, J., *Funes-Duran, M., *Miller, R., Ezpeleta, J., Rigby,
N., and C. Vierra. The Genomic Structure and Promoter Analysis of the Human ABF-1 Gene.
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (2000) 320-329.
21. Vierra, C. A. and Christian Nelson. (1995). The Pan Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins are
Required for Insulin Gene Expression. Molecular Endocrinology 9: 64-71.
22. Vierra, C. A., Xin-X. A., Jacobs, Y. T., Campbell, J. M., Rutter, W. J., Shen, L-P., and Christian
Nelson. (1994). Purification of E. coli-Synthesized Pan Proteins and Development of a PanSpecific Monoclonal Antibody. Hybridoma 13: 191-197.
23. Vierra, C. A., Jacobs, Y. T., Ly, L., and Christian Nelson. (1994). Pan Expression and
Endocrine Cell type-Specific Complex Formation. Molecular Endocrinology 8: 197-209.
24. Jacobs, Y. T., Vierra C. A., and Christian Nelson. (1993). E2A Expression, Nuclear
Localization and In-Vivo Formation of DNA- and Non-DNA Binding Species during B-Cell
Development. Molecular and Cellular Biology 13: 7321-7333.
D. Synergistic Activities:
1. Awarded the Faculty/Mentor Role Model in the area of biological research at the 8th National
Role Models conference “Improving Health and Prosperity by Increasing Diversity and Reducing
Disparities” sponsored by Minority Access Inc. in Arlington, Va (2007).
2. Member on the Experiential Learning Oversight Committee at the University of the Pacific
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3. Project SEED – Summer program for local high school students that come for economically
disadvantaged family backgrounds
Student Activities – Some Recent Mentored Undergraduates (1994-2013)
Melanie Funes-Duran, Genie Lee, Heideh Faramand, Amardep Sembhi, Kristin Kohler, Anthony
Eusebio, William Thayer, Paul Guerts, Russell Lee, Henry Chang, Stephanie Davis, Stephanie Phan,
Trang Le (Stagg High School Student), Joe King, Joe Schooler, Karen Wu, Sokunthea Chhun
(Lincoln High School), Caroline Lai, Kathy Lee, Mercedes Leoncio, Huong Mai, Olivia Martinez,
Grace Mercado, Robert Passamano, Shannon McNary (Bear Creek High School), Kevin Chung,
Coby La Mattina, Allyson Brooks; Niraj Patel, Palak Sheth, Moe Thien, Vu Tran, Tiffany Wong,
Sophia Chou
Mentored Graduate Students (M.S. in Biology)
Matt Milnes*, Noe Mora*, Mond Mugiya, Nigel Rigby, Mueen Ghani*, June Round*, Ryan O
Connell*, Jennifer Richmond*, Jennifer Fortunati*, William Thayer*, Anthony Eusebio*, Erin
McMullen*, Jessica Stamey*, Amardeep Sembhi, Keshav Vasanthavada*, Coby La Mattina*,
Tiffany Tuton*, Eric Blasingame*, Ryan Reza*, Ellen Cho, Paul Geurts*, Eric Gnesa*, Yang Hsia*,
Christine Ho, Thanh Pham*, Lisa Pham, Ryan Pacheco, Tyler Chuang, and Connie Lu *denotes
completion of M.S.
E. Collaborators & Other Affiliations:
Collaborators:
Andy LiWang
Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA
Jeff Yarger
ASU Chemistry & Biochemistry, Arizona State University
Joan Lin-Cereghino
Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton
CA
Geoff Lin-Cereghino Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton
CA
Graduate Advisor:
Stephen Spindler, Professor of Biochemistry, UC Riverside
F. External Funding:
2013 – Pending
MRI: Acquisition of Mass Spectrometry Technology for Research and Training – National Science
Foundation; Amount $555,009
2013 – Pending
Keck Foundation: Acquisition of Mass Spectrometry Technology for Spider Silk Research; Amount
$250,000
2010-2014
Research at Undergraduate Institutions – National Science Foundation (RUI-NSF): MCB
Project Title: Molecular Characterization of Black Widow Spider Silks; Amount: $512,075
2011-2014
Research at Undergraduate Institutions – National Science Foundation (RUI-NSF): DMR
Project Title: The Molecular Mechanisms and Mechanical Behavior of Spider Glue Silks; Amount:
$320,000.
2006-2010
Research at Undergraduate Institutions – National Science Foundation (RUI-NSF): MCB
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Project Title: Molecular Characterization of Tubuliform Silk; Amount: $376,920
2003-2007
Academic Research Enhancement Award - National Institute of Health (AREA-NIH)
Project Title: Molecular Characterization of ABF-1 in B cells; Amount: $122,024
2003-2005
Research at Undergraduate Institutions - National Science Foundation (RUI-NSF): DBI - Multiple
User Instrumentation Grant. Title: The Acquisition of DNA Microarray Technology for Biological
Research; Amount: $66,725
2001-2005
Collaborative Research at Undergraduate Institution - National Science Foundation (CRUI-NSF): DBI
Project Title: Molecular Mechanisms of Mechanical Diversity in Spider Silks; Amount: $849,972
2001-2004
Research at Undergraduate Institutions - National Science Foundation (RUI-NSF): MCB
Project Title: Functional Characterization of a Nematode Gene Related to the Class II bHLH
Protein, ABF-1; Amount: $139,429
2000-2003
Academic Research Enhancement Award - National Institute of Health (AREA-NIH)
Project Title: Structural and Functional Analysis of ABF-1 Promoter; Amount: $87,512
1998-2001
Research at Undergraduate Institutions - National Science Foundation (RUI-NSF): MCB
Project Title: The isolation and characterization of basic helix-loop-helix proteins associated with
E2A in plasma cells; Amount: $128,630
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