Torres

DR. JOSE TORRES

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

NAME

José A. Torres-Ruiz, Ph.D.

POSITION TITLE

Professor & Chair, Department of Biochemistry
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies

EDUCATION/TRAINING

INSTITUTION AND LOCATION

DEGREE

YEAR(s)

FIELD OF STUDY

National Institutes of Health

Washington State University
Pullman , Washington

Catholic University of PR
Ponce , Puerto Rico

Extramural Assoc. Trainee

Visiting Assistant
Professor

Ph.D.

B.S.

1995

1991

1987

1982

Federal Grants
Administration

Biochemistry

Chemistry

RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Consultations

Member of the Biochemistry and Structural Biology Panel to evaluate applications for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Predoctoral Fellowships in Biological Sciences Program (2002-present).

Member of the Review Panel for the Extramural Associates Research Development Award (EARDA-NIH) 2002-present

Consultant on the development of grant proposals for federal and non-federal agencies and scientific writing.

Member of the MARC-NIH Scientific Review Subcommittee (2001-Present). This is a four-year appointment extended by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) at the National Institutes of Health. Duties of this committee include providing scientific review of grant proposals and cooperative agreements submitted to the MARC Program and advising MARC Officials on policy development.

Ad-Hoc Scientific Review for the National Science Foundation (2000-present)

Ad Hoc Scientific Reviewer for research proposals submitted to the MBRS and RCMI Programs at the NIH (1993 to present) . Critical assessment of the scientific merits of applications submitted to the MBRS and RCMI Programs at the NIH.

Consultant to the AIDS Research Program at Ponce School of Medicine (1993 to present).

Consultant and Mentor to the Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Program at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico (1987-present).

Consultant to the Sponsored Research Programs Office at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico (1996-present).

Member of the Scientific Research Administrators (SRA) and the National Council of Universities Research Administrators (NCURA) (1995-present). 3

Research Interests

Research interest include: (1) the structure/function of Molecular Chaperones in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, (2) the expression and regulation of heat shock protein genes during mitogen activated human T cells, (3) characterization of Molecular Chaperone Organellar isoforms from higher plants, (4) the interaction of Molecular Chaperones with Calvin Cycle enzymes.

Funding Sources

MBRS-NIH Grant (S06-GM 08239-16) - "Chaperonins from Chromatium vinosum" (2001-2005).

Annual Biomedical Workshops at the Ponce School of Medicine (GM U13 - 1997-present). This initiative was awarded by the NIGMS-NIH to organize an annual scientific workshop at the Ponce School of Medicine.

Extramural Associates Development Award (EARDA-NIH) for the establishment of an Office for Sponsored Research Programs at the Ponce School of Medicine (1G11 HD32811-01) 1995-Present.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

J A Torres-Ruiz and B A McFadden, 1985. "Isolation of L 8, and L 8, S 8, Forms of Ribulose Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase from Chromatium vinosum".

B A McFadden, JA Torres-Ruiz, H Daniell and G Saronjini, 1986. "Interaction, Functional Relations and Evolution of Large and Small Subunits in RuBisCO from Prokaryota and Eukaryota",Phil. Tans. Royal Soc. B, 313:347-358

J A Torres-Ruiz and BA McFadden, 1987. "Association of RuBisCO Small Subunits with a Membrane Fraction from Chromatiurn vinosurn", Progress in Photosynthetisis Research, Vol. IH.5: 419-422.

J A Torres-Ruiz and B A McFadden, 1987. "The Nature of La and LBSa forms of Ribulose Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase from Chromalium vinosum", Arch. of Biochem. and Biophys. 254: 63-68.

B A McFadden, H Daniell, and J A Torres-Ruiz, 1987. "Structure/Function and Chloroplast Transformations", Proceedings of the International Workshop on RuBisCO, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 3, 242-246.

Curriculum Vitae - Dr. José A. Torres-Ruiz 13

J A Torres-Ruiz and B A McFadden, 1988, "A Homolog of the RuBisCO Binding Protein in Chromatizim vinosum" Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 261: 196-204.

J A Torres-Ruiz and V R Franceschi, 1989. "Localization of Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase-Oxygenase and its Putative Binding Protein in the Cell Envelope of Chromatium vinosum", Planta, 178, 297-302.

H Daniell, J A Torres-Ruiz, and B A McFadden, 1989. "Amplification and Expression of the Genes for Ribulose Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase in pBR322-Transformants of Anacystis nidulans", Arch. of Microbiology, 151: 59-64.

J A Torres-Ruiz, V R Franceschi, and B A McFadden, 1992, "Location of RuBisCO and Chaperonin 60 in Flaveria Species". Proceedings of the IX International Congress of Photosynthesis, Vol. 3: 625-628.

J A Torres-Ruiz and B A McFadden, 1993, "Purification and Characterization of Chaperonin 10 from Chromatium vinosum", Arch. Biochem. and Biophys, 292: 172-179.

C S Velez-Granell, A E Arias, J A Torres-Ruiz and M Bendayan. "Molecular Chaperones in Pancreatic Tissue: Presence of Cpn10, Cpn60 and Hsp70", J. Cell. Biol., 107,539 (1994).

A E Arias, C S Velez-Granell, J A Torres-Ruiz, and M Bedayan. "Involvement of Molecular Chaperones in the Aberrant Aggregation of Secretory Proteins in Pancreatic Acinar Cells", Exp. Cell. Res, 215, 1, (1994).

C S Velez-Granell, A E Arias, J A Torres-Ruiz, W K Kan, and M Bendayan. "Immunochemical Location of Chaperonin 10 and 60 in Rat Liver Tissue". Eur. J. Cell Biol., 85,1 (1995).

C S Velez-Granell, A E Arias, J A Torres-Ruiz and M Bendayan. "Presence of Chromatium vinosum Chaperonins 10 and 60 in Mitochondria and Peroxisomes of Rat Hepatocytes, Bioll. Cell, 85, 67, (1997).

J A Torres-Ruiz and M Bendayan. "Chaperonins 60„ and CO-Chaperonin 10, from Chromatium vinosum ". Methods in Enzymology, 290, 147 (1998).

M.S. AND Ph.D. THESIS SUPERVISED

"Purification and Biochemical Characterization of Chaperonins from Chromatiumvinosum" by Felícita García-Echevarría, M.S., December 1990.

"Characterization of RuBisCO from Hibiscus rossasinensis" by Candita Marrero-Pomales, M.S., December 1992.

"Characterization and Ultrastructural Localization of Molecular Chaperones in Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells" by Carlos Vélez-Granell, Ph.D., May 1994.

"Biochemical Characterization and Intracellular Location of Molecular Chaperone Isoforms in Flaveria" by María Miranda-Ramírez, M.S., December 1995.

“Genotypic and Phenotypic Characterization of Spondylothroracic Syndrome” by Alberto Santiago Cornier, M.D./Ph.D., December 2001.

“Autophosphorylation of Cpn60 from Chromatium vinosum” by James Lara, Ph.D., May 2002.

“Levels of Transforming Growth Factor β and Heat Shock Proteins in Patients with Heterotopic Ossification After Traumatic Brain Injury” by Luz Cuevas, Ph.D., May 2002.

"Autophosphorylation of Heat Shock Proteins from Chromatium vinosum” by José L. Martínez (Ph.D. Thesis in Progress, graduation expected in May 2003