Elena Keeling

Elena Keeling, Ph.D.

Professor

Co-coordinator,
M.S., Regenerative Medicine Program

805-756-2175
ekeeling@calpoly.edu
33-271 office
53-305 lab

Education:

B.S. Yale University
Ph.D. University of California, San Francisco

Research Interests

Development and regeneration in colonial ascidians
Telomer length
Algal lysis with pulsed electric fields for biofuel applications
Biology education

Advising Interests

Biology education
Cell and Molecular biology
Developmental biology
Health professions
New students (freshmen & transfers)

Research

My primary research interest is development and regeneration in the colonial ascidian Botrylloides violaceus. Colonial ascidians have the capacity to undergo complete regeneration from a poorly characterized population of circulating stem cells. As invertebrate chordates, they are more closely related to vertebrates than other animals with strong regenerative abilities. My goal is to learn more about molecular and cellular aspects of their stem cells and regeneration process. Some current projects include characterizing blood cell populations during development and regeneration, measuring telomerase activity as a marker for regenerative ability, and attempting to identify homologs of genes implicated in regeneration in other species. Student projects can incorporate microscopy, molecular biology, histology, developmental biology, and marine invertebrate zoology.

My second research area is an interdisciplinary collaboration with engineers and physicists to study the electrical properties of algae and optimize techniques for quantifying algal cell lysis. The goal is to explore pulsed electric fields as a method of releasing lipids for biofuel applications. For more information:

http://www.ee.calpoly.edu/projects/algae-biofuel-interdisciplinary/

Finally, my science education research has explored scientific literacy, inquiry-based labs, and the types of questions asked by students about biology. I am also interested in developing mentoring and support programs for under-represented students in biology.

Publications

Brown, F. D., Keeling, E. L., Le, A.D. and Swalla, B. J. 2009. Whole body regeneration in a colonial ascidian, Botrylloides violaceus. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B Molecular and developmental evolution 312B: 885-900.

Keeling, E. L., K. M. Polacek# and E. L. Ingram. 2009. A statistical analysis of student questions in a cell biology laboratory. CBE-Life Sciences Education 8: 131-139.

Polacek, K. M.# and E. L. Keeling. 2005. Easy ways to promote inquiry in a laboratory course. Journal of College Science Teaching 35: 52-55.

Levine, E., O. Byron-Cooper*, M. Desch-O’Donnell* and C. Metzinger*. 2003. Interindividual variation in mitochondrial enzyme activity in male monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus L. (Nymphalidae). Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society 57 (4):284-290.

Levine, E. 2001. Reading your way to scientific literacy: interpreting scientific articles through small-group discussions. Journal of College Science Teaching 31(2): 122-125.

Levine, E., A. S. Cupp, L. Miyashiro and M. K. Skinner. 2000. Role of transforming growth factor- alpha and the epidermal growth factor receptor in embryonic rat testis development. Biology of Reproduction 62: 477-490.

Levine, E., A. S. Cupp and M.K. Skinner. 2000. Role of neurotrophins in rat embryonic testis morphogenesis (cord formation). Biology of Reproduction 62: 132-142.

Levine, E., C. H. Lee, C. Kintner and B. M. Gumbiner. 1994. Selective disruption of E-cadherin function in early Xenopus embryos by a dominant negative mutant. Development 120: 901-909.

*undergraduate student,, #former M.S. student