Graduate NIH Training in Biotechnology
Trainees
Jonathan Steckeck
Project Description
Antimicrobial Peptide Interactions with Lipid Membranes
The goal of this project is to understand the mechanisms of interaction between antimicrobial peptides and biological lipid membranes in an effort to be able to design peptides exhibiting increased specificity for pathogen-specific membranes. Particularly, we would like to develop peptides that preemptively address the ability of bacteria to alter the lipid content of their membranes in response to antimicrobial peptide-induced killing. Working in the environment of the Center for Vaccine Research at the University of Pittsburgh allows us the opportunity to develop and test peptides against biodefense agents such as dengue virus, highly pathogenic influenza and other enveloped viruses, as well as a number of bacterial pathogens.
Courses
Foundations of Biomedical Science
Foundations Conference
Biochemistry of Macromolecules
Eukaryotic Molecular Genetics
Molecular Biophysics III – Biomolecular Interactions and Dynamics
Statistical Methods
Scientific Ethics
Fundamentals of Biochemical Engineering
Molecular Biophysics Data and Literature Club
Publications
Gupta S., Leutenegger C.M., Dean G.A., Steckbeck J.D., Cole K.S., and Sparger E.E. (2007) Vaccination of Cats with Attenuated Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Proviral DNA Vaccine Expressing Gamma Interferon. Journal of Virology 81:465-473.
Steckbeck, J.D. and Cole, K.S. (2006b) Dissecting the Humoral Immune Response to Simian Immunodeficiency Virus: Mechanisms of Antibody-Mediated Virus Neutralization. Immunologic Research. 36:51-60.
Steckbeck, J.D., Grieser, H., Sturgeon, T., Taber, R., Chow, A., Bruno, J., Murphy-Corb, M., Montelaro, R.C., and Cole, K.S. (2006a) Dynamic evolution of antibody populations in a rhesus macaque infected with attenuated simian immunodeficiency virus. Journal of Medical Primatology 35(4-5):248-60.
Steckbeck, J.D., Orlov, I., Chow, A., Grieser, H., Miller, K., Bruno, J., Robinson, J.E., Montelaro, R.C., and Cole, K.S. (2005) Kinetic Rates of Antibody Binding Correlate With Neutralization Sensitivity of Variant Simian Immunodeficiency Virus strains. Journal of Virology. 79:12311-12320.
Craigo, J.K., Li, F., Steckbeck, J.D., Durkin, S., Howe, L., Cook, S.J., Issel, C., and Montelaro, R.C. (2005) Discerning An Effective Balance Between Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Attenuation and Vaccine Efficacy. Journal of Virology. 79: 2666-2677.
Cole, K.S., Steckbeck, J.D., Rowles, J.L., Desrosiers, R.C., and Montelaro, R.C. (2004) Removal of N- linked Glycosylation Sites in the V1 Region of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus gp120 Results in Redirection of B-cell Responses to V3. Journal of Virology. 78:1525-1539.
Li, F., Craigo, J.K., Howe, L., Steckbeck, J.D., Cook, S., Issel, C., and Montelaro, R. (2003) A LiveAttenuated EIAV Proviral Vaccine with a Modified S2 Gene Provides Protection from Detectable Infection by Intravenous Virulent Virus Challenge of Experimentally Inoculated Horses. Journal of Virology. 77: 7244-7253.
Van Rompay, K.K., Greenier, J.L., Cole, K.S., Earl, P., Moss, B., Steckbeck, J.D., Pahar, B., Rourke, T., Montelaro, R.C., Canfield, D.R., Tarara, R.P., Miller, C., McChesney, M.B., and Marthas, M.L. (2003) Immunization of Newborn Rhesus Macaques With Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) Vaccines Prolongs Survival After Oral Challenge With Virulent SIVmac251. Journal of Virology. 77:179-190.
Craigo, J. K., Leroux, C., Howe, L., Steckbeck, J.D., Cook, S.J., Issel, C. J., and Montelaro, R.C. (2002) Transient Immune Suppression of Inapparent Carriers Infected with a Principal Neutralizing Domain-deficient Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Induces Neutralizing Antibodies and Lowers Steady-state Replication. Journal of General Virology. 83:1353-1359
Presentations
Walsh, A.S., Ganapathiraju, M., Newman, J.T., Steckbeck, J.D., Rosenfeld, R., Montelaro, R.C., Klein-Seetharaman, J. The Transmembrane Topology of the HIV gp41 Protein. Biophysical Society Annual Meeting 2007.
Steckbeck JD, Kuhrt D, Grieser H, Ross T, Cole KS. Differential Epitope Exposure and
Conformational Dependence of Monoclonal Antibodies to gp120 Monomers and gp140 Trimers from Varying Strains of HIV-1. Keystone Symposium: HIV Vaccines 2006.
Wu Y, Grieser H, Steckbeck JD, Clements JE, Cole KS. The role of envelope variation in SIV V1/V2 and V3 on the specificity of monoclonal and polyclonal neutralizing antibody responses. Keystone Symposium: HIV Vaccines 2006.
Steckbeck JD, Grieser HJ, Sturgeon T, Chow A, Bruno J, Murphey-Corb M, Montelaro RC, Cole KS. Dynamic evolution of antibody binding properties associated with neutralization of SIV. XXIII Annual Symposium on Nonhuman Primate Models for AIDS 2005
Steckbeck JD, Grieser H, Sturgeon T, Chow A, Bruno J, Murphey-Corb M, Montelaro RC, Cole KS. Characterization of Antibody Binding Properties Associated with Neutralization of Simian
Immunodeficiency Virus. International AIDS Vaccine 2005.
Steckbeck JD, Grieser H, Sturgeon T, Chow A, Bruno J, Murphey-Corb M, Montelaro RC, Cole KS. Determination of Populations and of Rates of Antibody Binding in Polyclonal Serum from Simian
Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Rhesus Macaques. Developments in Protein Interaction Analysis 2005.
Steckbeck JD, Chow A, Bruno J, Montelaro RC, Cole KS. Relationship between the stability of polyclonal serum antibody binding and neutralization of SIV. Keystone Symposium: HIV Vaccines: Current Challenges and Future Prospects 2005.
Cole KS, Steckbeck JD, Miller KA, Orlov I, Chow A, Bruno J, Montelaro RC. Characterization of antibody binding properties associated with neutralization of SIV. Keystone Symposium: HIV
Vaccine Development: Progress and Prospects 2004.
Cole KS, Steckbeck JD, Orlov I, Miller KA, Bruno J, Werkman JR, Polansky ND, Lin G, Hoxie JA, Montelaro RC. Qualitative properties of antibody binding properties associated with neutralization of
SIV. Eleventh Conference on Human Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections 2004.
Cole KS, Werkman JR, Polansky ND, Steckbeck JD, Miller KA, Orlov I, Bruno J, Lin G, Hoxie JA, Montelaro RC. Defining mechanisms of antibody-mediated neutralization of SIV. XXI Annual Symposium on Nonhuman Primate Models for AIDS 2003.
Cole KS, Steckbeck JD, Miller KA, Orlov I, Bruno J, Werkman JR, Polansky ND, Puffer BA, Doms RW, Montelaro RC. Defining mechanisms of antibody-mediated neutralization of SIV. Tenth
Conference on Human Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections 2003.
Cole KS, Steckbeck JD, Miller K, Puffer BA, Doms RW and Montelaro RC. Defining mechanisms of antibody-mediated neutralization of SIV. XX Annual Symposium on Nonhuman Primate Models for
AIDS 2002.
Cole KS., Steckbeck JD, Rowles JL, Desrosiers RC, Montelaro RC. Effects of glycosylation variation on SIV envelope-specific antibody responses. AIDS Vaccine 2001.
Conference Attendance
Developments in Protein Interaction Analysis, 2005, Philadelphia, PA
AIDS Vaccine Conference, 2005, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Keystone Symposium: HIV Vaccines and Pathogenesis, 2006, Keystone, CO
Biophysical Society 51st Annual Meeting, 2007, Baltimore, MD
AIDS Vaccine Conference, 2007, Seattle, WA
Seminar Attendance
Center for Vaccine Research Seminar Series
Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology Seminar Series
Computational Biology Seminar Series
Advisor
Dr. Ronald C. Montelaro
Professor, Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry
Associate Director, Center for Vaccine Research
University of Pittsburgh
