 |
Name: |
DeWitt, Jane D. |
| Education: |
B. S. (1986) Univ. of CA Santa Barbara, Chemistry
Ph. D. (1992) Stanford University, Chemistry |
| At SFSU since: |
1995 |
| Status: |
Department Chair |
| Office Location: |
Th-806 |
| Phone: |
415-338-1288 |
| Email: |
 |
| Website: |
http://ariel.sfsu.edu/adm/db/info/hp.htm |
Bioinorganic and Environmental Chemistry
The research in my laboratory focuses on understanding the mechanisms
of heavy metal accumulation and transformation in higher plant systems
from a chemical and molecular perspective. A variety of physical and
biochemical techniques are being used to investigate the distribution
and transformation of heavy metals by plants including atomic
absorption spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, HPLC, size exclusion
chromatography and X ray absorption spectroscopy. The goals of this
research are to determine the change in speciation (oxidation state,
geometry, coordination environment) that occurs upon accumulation of
the metals by plants and to identify the biomolecules involved in metal
complexation, thus providing insight into mechanisms of heavy metal
tolerance in plants. The effect of heavy metals on gene expression is
being investigated using polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting
techniques and subtractive hybridization techniques. We hope to
identify the genes involved in the transformation pathways we are
characterizing by the techniques described above. |
Publications: |
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