Professor & Department Chair
Contact Information
Engineering, Room 314
marten@umbc.edu
410-455-3439
Marten Lab Website
Education
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering – Purdue University, 1991
M.S. Chemical Engineering – Purdue University, 1988
B.S. Chemical Engineering – State University of New York at Buffalo, 1986
Research Interests
The broad goal in my laboratory is to better understand, and then beneficially manipulate, microbial expression systems. While we have carried out some projects involving bacteria, our primary focus is on filamentous fungi. We use a sophisticated set of analytical tools (electron microscopy, digital image analysis, atomic force microscopy) to assess fungal morphology and the physical properties of fungal cell walls. As an important tool in our molecular studies, we use a functional-genomic technique called proteomic analysis. This process involves the identification and quantification of individual proteins from various cellular fractions (e.g., cytoplasm, vacuoles, cell wall). These data are used for differential comparison allowing us to make deductions about cellular mechanisms. We are also developing new ways to use proteomic analysis to study cellular signaling pathways (phospho-proteomics). Recently, we have used all of these tools to better understand a fundamental cellular recycling-pathway called autophagy. And currently, we are studying the relationship between fungal morphology and protein secretion.
Selected Publications – Google Scholar – Pubmed – ORCiD
- “Micafungin-Induced Cell Wall Damage Stimulates Morphological Changes Consistent with Microcycle Conidiation in Aspergillus nidulans”. Samantha Reese, Cynthia Chelius, Wayne Riekhof, Mark R. Marten, Steven D Harris, Journal of Fungi 7(7), 525. (2021).
- “Micafungin-induced Cell Wall Damage Stimulates Microcycle Conidiation in Aspergillus nidulans”. Samantha Reese, Cynthia Chelius, Wayne R Riekhof, Mark R. Marten, Steven D Harris, (2021).
- “Discovery of treatment for nerve agents targeting a new metabolic pathway”. Trevor Glaros, Elizabeth S Dhummakupt, Gabrielle M Rizzo, Ethan McBride, Daniel O Carmany, Linnzi KM Wright, Jeffry S Forster, Julie A Renner, Ruth W Moretz, Russell Dorsey, Mark R. Marten, Walker Huso, Alexander Doan, Carrie D Dorsey, Christopher Phillips, Bernard Benton, Phillip M Mach, Archives of toxicology 94 (9), 3249-3264. (2020).
- “Dynamic phosphoproteomic and transcriptomic analysis of the CWIS pathway in Aspergillus nidulans.” Cynthia Chelius, Walker Huso, Samantha Reese, Alex Doan, Stephen Lincoln, Kelsi Lawson, Bao Tran, Raj Purohit, Trevor Glaros, Ranjan Srivastava, Steven Harris, Mark R. Marten, Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, 2020.
- “The Aspergillus fumigatus Phosphoproteome Reveals Roles of High-Osmolarity Glycerol Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases in Promoting Cell Wall Damage and Caspofungin Tolerance,” Eliciane Cevolani Mattos, Lilian Pereira Silva, Clara Valero, Patrícia Alves de Castro, Thaila Fernanda dos Reis, Liliane F. C. Ribeiro, Mark R. Marten, Rafael Silva-Rocha, Cauã Westmann, Carlos Henrique Tomich de Paula da Silva, Carlton Anthony Taft, Narjes Al-Furaiji, Michael Bromley, Uffe H. Mortensen, J. Philipp Benz, Neil Andrew Brown, Gustavo H. Goldman, mBio, Feb 2020, 11(1):e02962-19.
- “Comprehensive Analysis of Aspergillus nidulans PKA Phosphorylome Identifies a Novel Mode of CreA Regulation,” Liliane F. C. Ribeiro, Cynthia Chelius, Karthik R. Boppidi, Nisha S. Naik*, Simin Hossain, Jessica J.J.L.A. Ramsey, Jyothi Kumar, Lucas F. Ribeiro, Marc Ostermeier, Bao Tran, Young Ah Goo, Leandro J. de Assis, Gustavo H. Goldman, Stephen Lincoln, Ranjan Srivastava, Steven D. Harris, Mark R. Marten, mBio, 10(2):e02825-18, 2019.
- “Phosphoproteomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal multiple functions for Aspergillus nidulans MpkA independent of cell wall stress.” Cynthia L. Chelius, Liliane Ribiero, Jyothi Kumar, Stephen Lincoln, Bao Tran, Young Ah Goo, Ranjan Srivastava, Steven D. Harris, Mark R. Marten, Fungal Genetics and Biology, 125:1–12, 2019.
- “Altered secretion patterns and cell wall organization caused by loss of PodB function in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans.” Karthik R. Boppidi, Liliane FC Ribeiro, Sirasa Iambamrung*, Sidney M. Nelson*, Yan Wang, Michelle Momany, Elizabeth A. Richardson, Stephen Lincoln, Ranjan Srivastava, Steven D. Harris, Mark R. Marten, Scientific Reports, 8(1), 11433, 2018.
- “A fast and simple method to estimate relative, hyphal tensile-strength of filamentous fungi used to assess the effect of autophagy.” Daniela Quintanilla, Cynthia Chelius, Sirasa Iambamrung*, Sidney Nelson*, Donnel Thomas*, Krist V. Gernaey, Mark R. Marten, Biotechnology & Bioengineering, 115(3): 597-605, 2018.
- “Insights Regarding Fungal Phosphoproteomic Analysis.” Liliane FC Ribeiro, Cynthia L Chelius, Steven D Harris and Mark R. Marten, Fungal Genetics and Biology, 104:38-44, 2017.