Dr. Luis L. Escamilla-Treviño

Phone:: (580) 224-6104
e-mail: llescamilla@noble.org  

Current Position
Post-doctoral fellow at The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation in Dr. Richard Dixon’s Lab studying lignin biosynthesis in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum).

Research Interest
I’m interested in a better understanding of lignin biosynthesis in plants toward its manipulation and cell wall recalcitrance reduction to enzymatic digestion therefore making bio-ethanol production more efficient. Gene discovery, heterologous expression, enzyme biochemistry and plant molecular biology are the main approaches we are using. Also, I’m interested in using approaches like: enzyme mutagenesis, structure-function studies and over-expression in plants, to manipulate lignin content and composition.

Education
Ph.D., Biotechnology, April 2002, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza N.L., Mexico. Thesis: Production of shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) trypsin in Pichia pastoris.

M.Sc., Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, June 1996, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey N.L., Mexico. Thesis: Biosynthesis of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone in Pichia pastoris and Escherichia coli

B.Sc., Pharmaceutics-Chemistry, July 1992, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey N.L., Mexico.

Professional Experience

• December 2007-Present: Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Richard Dixon’s Lab. Plant Biology Division, Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, Oklahoma, USA.
• January 2005-December 2007: Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Xiaoqiang Wang’s Lab. Plant Biology Division, Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, Oklahoma, USA. Structural Genomics of UDP-Glycosyltransferases from Medicago truncatula
• November 2001-December 2004: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Biology Science Department, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA. Funtional Genomics of Arabidopsis β-Glucosidase and β-Galactoside Gene Families.
• November 1996-September 1997, Technical Assistance in BioCiencia SA de CV, Monterrey N.L. México.
• October 1992-September 1993, Analyst Chemist in Wellcome México (Pharmaceutical Company) Monterrey N.L., Mexico.
• February-August 1992: Professional Practices in Cervecería Cuahutemoc S.A. (Brewing company). Monterrey N.L., Mexico

Publications

• L. Li, L.V. Modolo, L.L. Escamilla-Treviño, L. Achnine, RA Dixon,  and X. Wang. Crystal Structure of Medicago trucatula UGT85H2- Insights into the Structural Bases of a Multifunctional (Iso)flavonoid glycosyltranferase. Journal of Molecular Biology, 370(5):951-963, 2007.
• L.L. Escamilla-Treviño, W. Chen, M.L. Card, M.C. Shih, C.L. Cheng, J.E. Poulton. Arabidopsis thaliana β-Glucosidases BGLU45 and BGLU46 hydrolyse monolignol glucosides. Phytochemistry 67: 1651-1660, 2006.
• Z. Xu, L.L. Escamilla-Treviño, L. Zeng, M. Lalgondar, D.R. Bevan, B.S.J. Winkel, A. Mohamed, C. Cheng, M. Shih, J.E. Poulton and A. Esen. Functional Genomic Analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana Glycoside Hydrolase Family 1. Plan Molecular Biology 55: 343-367, 2004.
• M. Guerreo Olazarán, L.L. Escamilla Treviño, A. Van Wormhoudt, J. Sepúlveda Saavedra, J.M. Viader Salvadó. Effect of the expression in Pichia pastoris of a serin-protease over peroxisomal enzymes , Ciencia UANL IV(4): 448-553, 2001. [Spanish]
•  L.L. Ecamilla Treviño, J.M. Viader Salvadó, H.A. Barrera Saldaña and M. Guerrero Olazarán, Biosynthesis and Secretion of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone in Pichia pastoris. Biotechnology Letters, 22(2):109-114, 2000.
• M. Guerreo Olazarán, L.L. Escamilla Treviño, J.M. Viader Salvadó, H.A. Barrera Saldaña, Human Genome Proyect at the UANL, Part VIII: Production of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone in the Laboratory , Ciencia UANL 3(1): 78-86, 2000. [Spanish]
• L.L. Escamilla Treviño, J.M. Viader Salvadó, M. Guerrero Olazarán; Production of Recombinant Proteins in Pichia pastoris; Ciencia UANL 2(2): 155-161, 1999. [Spanish]

Meeting Attendance and poster presentation (Last five):

• L.L. Escamilla-Trevino, L.V. Modolo, L. Li, R. A. Dixon, X. Wang. Mutagenesis studies of an (iso)flavonoid uridine diphosphateglycosyltransferase UGT85H2 from Medicago truncatula. The 21^st Symposium of The Protein Society, Boston MA, July 21-25, 2007.
• H. Shao, L.L. Escamilla-Trevino, L. Li, Z. Chang, L. Modolo, J.W. Blount, X. He, R.A. Dixon, X.Wang. Structural and Functional Studies of Uridine Diphosphate Glycosyltransferases from Medicago truncatula. Plant Biology 2006 Meeting, American Society of Plant Biologist. Boston MA, August 5 to 9, 2006.
• L.L. Escamilla-Treviño, A.K. Laust, J.M. Netland, B.R. Carroll, M. Shih, C. Cheng, J.E. Poulton. “Identification of Arabidopsis thaliana β-glucosidases that hydrolyse monolignol glucosides”. Plant Biology 2004 Meeting, American Society of Plant Biologist. Orlando FL, July 24 to 28, 2004.
• J.E. Poulton, Z. Xu, L.L. Escamilla-Treviño, L. Zeng, M. Shih, C. Cheng, A. Mohamed, T. Kishimoto, Y. Turan, M. Zheng, B. Winkel-Shirley, D. R. Bevan, A. Esen. “Expression and Characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana β-Glucosidases”. Plant Biology 2003 Meeting, American Society of Plant Biologist. Honolulu, Hawaii, July 25 to 30, 2003.
• J. Poulton, Z. Xu, L.L. Escamilla Treviño, L. Zeng, M.C. Shih, C.L. Cheng, T. Kishimoto, Y Turan, M. Zheng, B. Winkel-Shirley, D.R. Bevan, A. Esen. “Expresión and Characterization of Arabidopsis β-Glucosidases”. XIV International Conference on Arabidopsis Research. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI, June 20 to 24, 2003.

Techniques and Skills

• Molecular Biology Techniques: Plasmid and genomic DNA isolation, RNA isolation, plasmid construction, PCR, RT-PCR, relative RT-PCR Southern blot, Engineering recombinant protein production, use of DNA Facilities units for sequencing (sample preparation and electronic manage).
• Protein Techniques: Protein expression in E. coli and yeast, total protein determination, SDS-PAGE, ELISA, Immuno-Dot, Western-blot, Enzyme activity evaluation, Enzyme kinetics, Mutagenesis.
• Protein purification: Use of the FPLC AKTA Purifier, Ammonium sulfate fractionation, Size Molecular Exclusion, Ion Exchange, Hydrophobic Interactions and Affinity Chromatography (Use of 6-His tag or GST), dialysis, ultrafiltration, etc.
• Arabidopsis Techniques: Plate, Liquid and soil culture; Transformation (Dip method), Arabidopsis T-DNA Database (Salk Institute Genomic Analysis Laboratory).
• Others Techniques: Fermentation, microorganism growth kinetics construction, microbiology techniques handing.
• Computation: PC and Macintosh computer handing, common programs handing: microsoft word, excel and power point; molecular biology programs: DNA Star, Gene Jockey, Oligo, Internet Molecular Biology Programs: Primer3, GCG Program, NEB Cutter, Chromas. Coot (model building and manipulation program), Sequence Scanner, etc.

Teaching

• Lecturer of several undergraduate and graduate courses of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology or Instructor in some Molecular Biology Practice courses. Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Monterrey N.L. Mexico.
• Laboratory advisor of several undergraduate students in the University of Iowa and The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation.

Languages

• Spanish (Native).
• English (Second language)