Sebastian Albu
Graduate Student
E-mail: salbu@agcenter.lsu.edu

Major Professor: Dr. Cathie Aime

Education:

• 2010-Present: M.S. Plant Pathology. Louisiana State University. Baton Rouge, LA

• 2004-2006: B.S. Biology.  Metropolitan State College of Denver. Denver, CO

• 1996-2001: B.S. Music.  University of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, PA

Work Experience:

• 2010-Present: Graduate research assistant.  Louisiana State University.  Department of plant pathology

• 2006-2010: University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Denver, CO 80262. Professional Research Assistant, Pulmonary Division.  Department of Medicine.

Awards and Recognition:

• Outstanding Student of Biology.  Metropolitan State College of Denver.  School of Arts and Sciences.  2006.

• Mycological Society of America Travel Grant 2011

Research:

I am conducting a study documenting basidiomycete yeast biodiversity in Baton Rouge, Louisiana during 2010-2011.  The leaf surfaces of seven species of native, introduced and invasive ferns will be sampled at biweekly intervals during the course of one year to determine to what degree various temporal and spatial factors as well as hosts influence phylloplane yeast distribution.  Qualitative and quantitative analyses of population distribution on abaxial, adaxial, senescent and fresh leaf tissues will be conducted and precipitation patterns and fluctuations in temperature preceding collection dates will be recorded during this time.  Leaf samples from the same fern populations will be repeatedly cultured to examine microbial fauna.  Preliminary results show a great deal of yeast biodiversity on the fern phylloplane.  Results also indicate that species diversity varies between the spatial components of fern phylloplanes.  Diversity and population may differ between abaxial and adaxial leaf surfaces during the course of the year.  Additionally, both population numbers and species diversity seem to decrease during periods of colder temperatures on all fern species.  Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer regions within nuclear rDNA repeat has revealed ten to twenty putatively new species or higher taxa within ten separate classes including plant pathogenic smut fungi from the Exobasidiomycetes and Ustilaginomycetes.  I will perform phylogenetic analyses and assimilation experiments on novel species of yeasts within the Exobasidiomycetes using nuclear rDNA genes ITS, LSU and SSU as well as the RNA polymerase II genes, rpb1 and rpb2.

Publications:

• Hagen M, Harral J, Albu S, Paradis H, Gendron R, Stenmark K, and West J.  Endothelial BMPR2 dysfunction results in pulmonary perivascular inflammation and hypercoagulation (2007) Am J Physiol.:Lung Cell Mol Physiol Jun:292(6):L1473-9 Epub 2007 Feb 23.

• West J, Harral J, Deng Y, Ickes B, Albu S, Stewart D, Fagan K, “Mice expressing BMPR2R899X transgene in smooth muscle develop pulmonary vascular lesions. American Thoracic Society International Conference, San Francisco May (2007) Talk

• Mutlak H, Mutlak O, Moll V, Albu S, Ickes B, Stringer K, Weimann J, Christians U, Fagan K, West J, LPS Activates the BMP Pathway (submitted, inflammation)