James Culver

Education: 

Ph.D. University of California, Riverside, Plant Pathology
M.S. Oklahoma State University, Plant Pathology
B.S. Oklahoma State University, Microbiology

Professional Positions Held: 

Areas of Interest: 

• Virology

• Nanotechnology

Current Research: 

Research Interests: 

Research in our laboratory is multidisciplinary with efforts directed at understanding virus biology and its role in disease as well as studies aimed at engineering viruses and other biological components for application in nano-based systems and devices. We utilize a multitude of approaches in our studies and collaborate with scientists in fields ranging from structural biology to microfabrication. Our goal is to utilize discoveries in virus biology to develop new approaches for their control and application.

Virus-Host Interactions:

Viruses cause significant reductions in food, fiber and forage throughout the world. Yet despite their importance we still understand relatively little of the disease processes through which viruses reduce crop productivity. Our biological studies focus on understanding how plant viruses cause disease or induce resistance responses.  One area of study is directed at understanding the molecular mechanisms used by viruses to usurp the plant’s vascular tissues and facilitate their movement throughout the plant.   We are currently characterizing specific plant–virus interactions and cell responses that occur within the vascular tissues of infected plants.  These studies utilize a variety of pathosystems including a Tobacco mosaic virus – Arabidopsis system and a Plum Pox Virus - Prunus fruit trees system.   

Another focus area addresses the identification of signaling pathways involved in disease development.  These studies utilize genomic approaches, such as  RNAseq, gene editing and tissue specific translatome approaches to identify host genes and pathways that are disrupted during the infection process. We then seek to link disrupted genes or pathways to specific disease responses as well as to specific virus-host interactions and functions. Our long-term goal is to utilize information from these studies to develop crop plants that are incapable of supporting virus spread and/or disease development.

Virus Based Nanotechnology:

Advances in nanotechnology offer significant improvements in a range of applications including, lightweight materials with greater strength, increased energy efficiency for electronic devices, and better sensors for a range of environmental and manufacturing uses. Furthermore, since size constraints often produce qualitative changes in the characteristics of matter, it is anticipated that the exploitation of nanotechnology will result in the identification of new phenomena and functionalities derived from the physics, chemistry, and biology of matter at the nanoscale level. However, these advances will require the development of systems for the design, modeling, and synthesis of nanoscale materials. Interestingly, many biological molecules function on this scale and possess unique properties that impart the ability to assume defined conformations and assemblies, as well as interact with specific chemical or biological substrates. Specific studies in our laboratory utilize simple RNA plant viruses as templates for the self-assembly and patterning of novel nanomaterials. We are interested in developing methodologies to produce assembled arrays of functionalized viruses for use in sensors, energy harvesting and drug delivery. We combine both genetic and chemical approaches to address our bioengineering efforts with the long-term aim of integrating renewable biological components into the manufacture of nanoscale materials and devices.

Courses Taught: 

Selected Publications: 

Collum T.D., Padmanabhan M., Hsieh Y-C., Culver J.N. 2016.  Tobacco mosaic virus directed reprogramming of auxin/indole acetic acid protein transcriptional responses enhances virus phloem loading. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 113(19):E2740-2749.

Zang F, Gerasopoulos K, Fan XZ, Brown AD, Culver JN, Ghodssi R. 2016.  Real-time monitoring of macromolecular biosensing probe self-assembly and on-chip ELISA using impedimetric microsensors.   Biosens. Bioelectron., 81:401-407.

Collum T. D. and Culver J. N. 2016. The impact of phytohormones on virus infection and disease. Curr. Opin Virol., 17:25-31.

Gnerlich, M, Ben-Yaov H, Culver JN, Ketchum DR, Ghodssi R. 2015. Selective deposition of nanostructured ruthenium oxide using Tobacco mosaic virus for micro-supercapacitors in solid Nafion electrolyte.  J. Power Sources, 293:649-656.

Culver JN, Brown AD, Zang F, Gnerlich M, Gerasopoulos K, Ghodssi R. 2015. Plant virus directed fabrication of nanoscale materials and devices. Virology 479-480:200-212.

Fan XZ, Naves L, Siwak NP, Brown AD, Culver JN, Ghodssi R. 2015. Integration of genetically modified virus-like-particles with an optical resonator for selective bio-detection. Nanotechnology, 26-205501:1-9.

Zang F, Gerasopoulos K, Fan XZ, Brown AD, Culver JN, Ghodssi R. 2014. An electrochemical sensor for selective TNT sensing based on Tobacco mosaic virus-like particle binding agents. Chem. Commun. 50:12977-12980. 

Fan, XZ, Brown AD, Gerasopoulos K, McCathy M, Culver JN, Ghodssi, R. 2013.   Tobacco mosaic virus: A biological building block for micro/nano/bio systems. J. Vac. Technol. A 31:050815, 1-24.

Brown AD, Naves L, Wang X, Ghodssi R, Culver JN. 2013. Carboxylate-directed in vivo assembly of virus-like nanorods and tubes for the display of functional peptides and residues.  Biomacromolecules, 14:3123-3129.

Payne GF, Kim E, Cheng Y, Wu H-C, Ghodssi R, Rubloff GW, Raghaven SR, Culver JN, Bentley WE. 2013.  Accessing biologys toolbox for the mesoscale biofabrication of soft matter.  Soft Matter, 9:6019-6032.

Liu Y, Xu Y, Zhu Y, Culver JN, Lundgren CA, Xu K, Wang C. 2013.  Tin-coated viral nanoforests as sodium-ion battery anodes.  ACS Nano. 7:3627-3634.

Liu Y, Zhang W, Zhu Y, Luo Y, Xu Y, Brown A, Culver JN, Lundgren CA, Xu K, Wang C. 2013.  Architecturing hierarchical function layers on self-assembled viral templates as 3D nano-array electrodes for integrated Li-ion microbatteries.  Nano Lett. 13:293-300.

Freer AS, Guarnaccio L, Wafford K, Smith J, Steilberg J, Culver JN, Harris MT. 2013.  SAXS characterization of genetically engineered tobacco mosaic virus nanorods coated with palladium in the absence of external reducing agents.  J. Colloid Interface Sci., 392:213-218.

Wang X and Culver JN. 2012. DNA binding specificity of ATAF2, a NAC domain transcription factor targeted for degradation by Tobacco mosaic virus. BMC Plant Biol. 12:157.

Chiang Cy, Epstein J, Brown A, Munday JN, Culver JN, Ehrman S. 2012. Biological Templates for Antireflective Current Collectors for Photoelectrochemical Cell Applications.  Nano Letters 14:6005-6011. 

Freer AS, Guarnaccio L, Wafford K, Smith J, Steilberg J, Culver JN, Harris MT. 2012. SAXS characterization of genetically engineered tobacco mosaic virus nanorods coated with palladium in the absence of external reducing agents.  J. Colloid Interface Sci. S0021-9797

Ghosh A, Guo J, Brown A, Royston ES, Wang C, Kofinas P Culver JN. 2012. Virus Assembled Flexible Electrode – Electrolyte Interfaces for Enhanced Polymer Based Battery Applications. J Nanomaterials. 795892.

Chen X, Guo JC, Gerasopoulos K, Brown A, Ghodssi R, Culver JN, Wang C. 2012.  3D tin anodes prepared by electrodeposition on a virus scaffold. J of Power Sources. 211:129-132.  

Gerasopoulos K, Pomerantseva E, McCarthy, M, Brown A, Wang C, Culver JN, Ghodssi R. 2012. Hierarchical three-dimensional microbattery electrodes combining bottom-up self-assembly and top-down micromachining.  ACS Nano 6:6422-6432

McCarthy M, Gerasopoulos K, Enright R, Culver JN, Ghodssi R, Wang EN.  2012.  Biotemplated hierarchical surfaces and the role of dual length scales in the repellency of impacting droplets.  Applied Physics Letters. 100:263701 1-5.  

Kramer SK, Goregaoker, SP, and Culver, JN. 2011.  Association of the tobacco mosaic virus 126 kDa replication protein with a GDI protein affects host susceptibility.  Virology, 414:110-118.

Chen X, Gerasopoulos K, Guo J, Brown A, Wang C, Ghodssi R, Culver JN. 2011. A patterned silicon anode fabricated by electrodeposition of Si on a virus structured 3-dimensional current collector, Advanced Functional Materials, 21:380-87.

Chen X, Gerasopoulos K, Guo J, Brown A, Ghodssi R, Culver JN, Wang C. 2011.  High rate performance of virus enabled 3D n-type Si anodes for lithium-ion batteries.  Electrochimica Acta56:5210-13.

Lim JS, Kim SM, Lee SY, Stach EA, Culver JN, Harris MT. 2011.  Surface functionalized silica as a toolkit for studying aqueous phase palladium absorption and mineralization on thiol moiety in the absence of external reducing agents.  J. Colloid Interface Sci 356:31-36.