RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Light-harvesting protein biosynthesis in cyanobacteria
• Photosynthesis
• Microbial physiology
• Microbial biotechnology
• Microbial diversity

GRANT SUPPORT

• June 2009-May 2012 “Biosynthesis and Assembly of Phycobiliproteins in Cyanobacteria” NSF. Wendy Schluchter, PI; $411,000.
• June 2002-May 2009 “CAREER: Elucidation of the biosynthetic and degradative pathways for phycobiliproteins in cyanobacteria”. NSF. W. M. Schluchter, PI. Total awarded: $563,247
• Aug 2004- Aug 2009 “UMEB: Mentoring Undergraduate Research in Conservation Biology and Ecology” NSF. Steve Johnson, PI;  Co-PIs: Nicola Anthony, Carla Penz, Wendy Schluchter. $ 438,902

NOTEWORTHY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• 2002 NSF CAREER Award

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

• Miller, C. A., Leonard, H. S., Pinsky, I. G., Turner, B. M., Williams, S. R., Harrison Jr., L., Fletcher, A. F., Shen, G., Bryant, D. A., and Schluchter, W. M. 2008.  Biogenesis of Phycobiliproteins. III: CpcM is the Asparagine Methyltransferase for Phycobiliprotein b-subunits in Cyanobacteria. J. Biol. Chem. 283; 19293-19300.
• Shen, G., Leonard, H. R., Schluchter, W. M.  and D. A. Bryant. 2008. Characterization of cpcM mutants that are unable to methylate Asparagine-71/72 of phycobiliprotein beta subunits in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002. J. Bacteriol. 190; 4808-4817.
• Shen, G., Schluchter, W. M.  and D. A. Bryant. 2008. Biogenesis of phycobiliproteins. I. cpcS-I and cpcU mutants of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 define a heterodimeric phycocaynobilin lyase specific for beta -phycocyanin and allophycocyanin subunits, J. Biol. Chem. 283; 7503-7512.
• Saunée, N. A., Williams, S. R., Bryant, D. A. and W. M. Schluchter. 2008.  Biogenesis of phycobiliproteins. II. CpcS-I and CpcU comprise the heterodimeric bilin lyase that attaches phycocyanobilin to Cys-82 of b-phycocyanin and Cys-81 of allophycocyanin subunits in Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002.  J. Biol. Chem. 283; 7513-7522.
• Shen, G, Saunée, N. A., Williams, S. R., Gallo, E. F., Schluchter, W. M. and D. A. Bryant.  2006.  Identification and Characterization of a New Class of Bilin Lyase Responsible for Attachment of Phycocyanobilin to Cys-153 on the b-subunit of Phycocyanin in Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002.  J. Biol. Chem.  281; 17768-17778.
• Gomez-Lojero, C., Perez-Gomez, B., Shen, G., Schluchter, W. M. and D. A. Bryant. 2003. Interaction of Ferredoxin-NADP + Oxidoreductase with Phycobilisome Substructures of Cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp PCC 7002. Biochemistry. 42: 13800-13811.
• Schluchter, W. M. and D. A. Bryant 2002. “Analysis and Reconstitution of Phycobiliproteins”. in: Heme, Chlorophyll, and Bilins: Methods and Protocols, Michael Witty and Alison Smith (eds). Humana Press, Inc. Totowa, NJ. pp 1-24.
• Schluchter, W. M., and Glazer, A. N. 1999. Biosynthesis of phycobiliproteins in cyanobacteria. In: The Phototrophic Prokaryotes. GA Peshcek, W. Löffelhardt, and G. Schmetterer (eds). pp. 83-95. Plenum Press, London.
• Yang, F., Shen, G., Schluchter, W. M., Zybailov, B. L., Ganago, A. O., Vassiliev, I. R., Bryant, D. A., Golbeck, J. H. 1998. Deletion of the PsaF Polypeptide Modifies the Environment of the Redox-Active Phylloquinone (A1). Evidence for Unidirectionality of Electron Transfer in Photosystem I, The J. of Phys. Chem. B; 102(42); 8288-8299.
• Schluchter, W. M., and A. N. Glazer 1997. Characterization of Cyanobacterial Biliverdin Reductase. Conversion of biliverdin to bilirubin is important for normal phycobiliprotein biosynthesis. J. Biol. Chem. 272: 13562-13569