Education
Masters of Science in Biotechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, 2012
Lab information
Currently I work as a Lab Manager II at Altos Labs. Altos Lab's mission is to reverse disease, injury and the disabilities that occur throughout life by restoring cell health and resilience through cell rejuvenation. Apart from my lab managerial responsibilities, at Altos labs, I provide technical assistance to the research scientists in our lab on variety of molecular biological methods such as: western blotting, RNA extraction, RT-PCR and qPCR, ELISA, cell and tissue culture, iPSC differentiation and incucyte experiments.
My research background encompasses extensive experience with a range of animal models, including Drosophila melanogaster, Aedes aegypti, and Culex quinquefasciatus. I am skilled in performing mosquito embryo microinjections in both Aedes and Culex species, delivering synthetic DNA as well as Wolbachia for genetic and symbiont-based studies. My expertise in Drosophila research includes conducting genetic crosses and performing immunostaining on tissues such as the brain and proboscis. In addition, I have training in electrophysiological techniques, including Single Sensillum Recordings (SSR) to study olfactory neuron responses to external odorant stimuli, and tip recordings to assess gustatory responses to various tastants in Drosophila melanogaster as well as Aedes aegypti. I also have experience in designing and conducting behavioral assays in both Drosophila and mosquito models to investigate sensory-driven behaviors.
Research focus
Cell Biology; Animal Behavior; Mosquito Embryo Microinjections; Drosophila Electrophysiology; Cell and Tissue Culture; Drug Screening in Various Cell Models Utilizing Fluorescent Protein Markers and Luminescence Assays; Laboratory Management.
Publications
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=wOQr4WMAAAAJ&hl=en• Ni, J. D., Gurav, A. S., Liu, W., Ogunmowo, T. H., Hackbart, H., Elsheikh, A., … Montell, C. (2019). Differential regulation of the Drosophila sleep homeostat by circadian and arousal inputs. ELife, 8. doi: 10.7554/elife.40487
• Liu, W., Ganguly, A., Huang, J., Wang, Y., Ni, J. D., Gurav, A. S., … Montell, C. (2019). Neuropeptide F regulates courtship in Drosophila through a male-specific neuronal circuit. ELife, 8. doi: 10.7554/elife.49574
• Leung, Y, N., Thakur, D., Gurav, A. S., Kim, H.S., Pizio, D.A., Niv, Y.M., Montell, C. Functions of Opsins in Drosophila Taste. Cell. Current Biology (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.01.068
• Chen, J., Luo, J., Wang, Y., Gurav, A. S., and Montell, C. (2021) Suppression of female fertility in Aedes aegypti with a CRISPR-targeted male-sterile mutation. PNAS (2021), https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2105075118
• Chen, J.*, Luo, J.*, Gurav, A. *, Chen, Z., Wang, Y., Montell, C. (2021) A DREaMR system to simplify combining mutations with rescue transgenes in Aedes aegypti. DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab146
• Wang, Y.*, Thakur, D.*, Duge, E.*, Murphy, C., Girling, I., DeBeaubien, N., Chen, J., Nguyen, B. H., Gurav, A. S., Montell, C. (2024). Deafness due to loss of a TRPV channel eliminates mating behavior in Aedes aegypti males. PNAS (2024). DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2404324121