Gregory P. Fournier
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
University of Connecticut
91 N Eagleville Rd
Storrs, CT 06269-3125
g4nier@gmail.com
Education
Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
A.B. in Genetics, Cell and Developmental Biology, June 2001
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
PhD (ABD), Genetics and Genomics
Relevant Coursework: bacterial genetics, protein biochemistry, microbial physiology, bioinformatics, statistics, computer
programming (Perl), computational biology, population genetics.
Research Experience
Research Assistant Sep 2004-present
University of Connecticut, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Gogarten Lab, Storrs, CT
Analysis of genomic sequence data, including phylogenetics, horizontal gene transfer detection, ancestral sequence
reconstruction, and protein compositional analysis. Developing methods for studying early life evolution via analysis
of polar characters (amino acid compositional bias, ancient gene duplications). Developing novel methodologies for
the mapping of protein sequence space.
Research Assistant, Sep 2002-Aug 2004
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Synthetic Biology Group, Cambridge, MA
Annotated complete genome sequence of Mesoplasma florum. Analyzed and described metabolic and regulatory
pathways present in organism, identifying potential candidates for removal for genome reduction/engineering of
synthetic organism. Identified unique features of translation system for future applications in protein engineering.
Participated in planning and organizing the 1st Annual Meeting on Synthetic Biology.
Research Technician, Feb 2002-Aug 2002
Harvard Medical School/Mass General Hospital, Division of Infectious Diseases, Cambridge, MA
Analyzed genome sequences of Shigella flexneri and E. coli O157:H7 for identification of pathogenicity islands and
other virulence-associated genes. Examined genome sequence of Plasmodium falciparum for genes involved in RNA
interference. Compiled and prepared data for publication.
Research Technician, June 2000- Sep 2000
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Biomedical Laser Application Research Laboratory, Hanover NH
Planned and conducted in-vitro and in-vivo photodynamic therapy experiments. Treated tumors in mice with lasersensitive drugs. Assayed drug photobleaching and distribution properties in tissue/construct cultures. Measured
oxygen content of tumor tissues throughout treatment. Compiled, analyzed, and prepared data for publication.
Awards
Phi Kappa Phi, University of Connecticut Chapter, Spring 2008
Sherwood Chang Award for Student Excellence in the Origin of Life: “Evolutionary Chronology of Ribosomal Subunits
Contains Evidence of Genetic Code Evolution” 2008 Gordon Research Conference on Origin of Life, Ventura CA
Sponsored Membership Award: American Association for the Advancement of Science/Science Program for Excellence in
Science (2007).
Poster Award: “Signature of a Primitive, Evolving Genetic Code in Ancient Conserved Proteins” NASA 2005 Exobiology
Principal Investigator Symposium, NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA
Outstanding Scholars Program Fellowship Award: 2004 University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
Poster Award: “Opportunities for Protein Engineering: Reclaiming Codon Space in the Minimal tRNA Set of Mesoplasma
florum“ 2003 Computational and Systems Biology Initiative Symposium, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Cambridge MA
Citation: Outstanding performance in Bioinformatics, 2001 Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Citation: Outstanding performance in Developmental Biology, 2000 Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Professional Societies
Active Member: American Association for the Advancement of Science (2007-present).
Member: Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution (2006-2007).
Meetings Attended
Gordon Research Conference and Graduate Research Seminar: Origin of Life, Jan 2008
Crown Plaza Hotel, Ventura, CA
Poster Presented
Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution May 2007
Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
Poster Presented
Small Matters: Microbes and Their Role in Conservation, April 2007
Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History
Poster Presented
New England Molecular Evolutionary Biologists Meeting, Nov 2006
University of Massachusetts, Amherst Amherst, MA
Lecture Presented: “Evolution of Acetoclastic Methanogenesis in Methanosarcinales via Horizontal Gene Transfer
from Clostridia”
Gordon Research Conference and Graduate Research Seminar: Origin of Life, Jul 2006
Bates College, Lewiston, ME
Lecture Presented: “Methanogenesis: an ancient transfer event?”
Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution: Genomes, Evolution, & Bioinformatics, May 2006
The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Poster Presented
New England Molecular Evolutionary Biologists Meeting, Nov 2005
Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
Poster Presented
NASA Exobiology Principal Investigator Symposium, May 2005
NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA
Poster Presented
New England Molecular Evolutionary Biologists Meeting, Nov 2004
Tufts University, Medford, MA
Poster Presented
Gordon Research Conference and Graduate Research Seminar: Origin of Life, Jan 2004
Crown Plaza Hotel, Ventura, CA
Poster Presented
Other Lectures
Guest Lecture, MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Dec 2008
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Lecture Presented: “The Secret Life of the Genetic Code: Past and Present”
Other Activities
Panelist, Norman Hascoe Distinguised Lecture Series, Oct 2008.
Dr. Nigel Goldenfeld: “Statistical mechanics of the genetic code: a glimpse of early life?”
Publications
Fournier GP, and Gogarten JP (2008). Evolution of Acetoclastic Methanogenesis in Methanosarcina via Horizontal Gene Transfer
from Cellulolytic Clostridia. J. Bacteriol. 190 (3) 1124-1127.
Gogarten JP, Fournier G, Zhaxybayeva O (2008). Gene transfer and the reconstruction of life’s early history from the molecular
record. Space Sci Rev 135:115-131.
Noonan EJ, Fournier GP, Hightower LE (2008). Surface expression of Hsp70B’ in response to proteasome inhibition in human
colon cells. Cell Stress Chaperones 13:105-110.
Fournier GP (2008):
Evolution of the Genetic Code: Computational Methods and Inferences.
Chapter 3 in “Computational Methods for Understanding Bacterial and Archaeal Genomes”, Xu Y, Gogarten JP (eds.), Imperial
College Press, London.
Fournier GP, Gogarten JP (2007). Signature of a Primitive Genetic Code in Ancient Protein Lineages. J Mol
436.
Evol 65(4):425-
Wei J, Goldberg MB, Burland V, Venkatesan MM, Deng W, Fournier G, Mayhew GF, Plunkett G 3 rd, Rose DJ, Darling A,
Mau B, Perna NT, Payne SM, Runyen-Janecky LJ, Zhou S, Schwartz DC, Blattner FR.(2003). Complete genome
sequence and comparative genomics of Shigella flexneri serotype 2a strain 2457T. Infect Immun 71(5):2775-2786.
Pogue, BW, O’Hara JA, Goodwin IA, Wilmot CJ, Fournier GP, Akay AR, Swartz H (2002). Tumor PO(2) changes during
photodynamic therapy depend upon photosensitizer type and time after injection. Comp. Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr
Physiol 132(1):177-184.