The Graduate Program in Neuroscience

Faculty Profile
Monica Driscoll
Associate Professor Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Rutgers University BA 1979 Douglas College PhD 1985 Harvard University 1985 - 1991 Columbia University
Rutgers University Division of Life Sciences A232 Nelson Biological Laboratories 604 Allison Road Piscataway, NJ 08854 (732) 445-7182 FAX: (732) 445-7192 driscoll@mbcl.rutgers.edu
Research Interests		Research Techniques
Developmental neurogenetics, Molecular mechanisms of necrotic cell death, Mechanosensory ion channels		Genetics Molecular biology Cell biology and biochemistry of Caenorhabditis elegans
Research Summary
Our lab uses the elegant and powerful model system C. elegans to decipher molecular mechanisms of neuronal function and dysfunction. The biological problems we investigate include mechanotransduction, neuronal degeneration and aging.

Key References
Driscoll, M. and Tavernarakis, N. (2000) Closing in on a mammalian touch receptor. Nature Neuroscience 3: 7-9. Xu, K., Tavernarakis, N., and Driscoll, M. (2001) Necrotic cell death in C. elegans requires the function of calreticulin and regulators of Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum. Neuron 31: 9517-971. Tavernarakis, N., Everett, J. K., Kyrpides, N., and Driscoll, M. (2001) Features of the intracellular amino-termini of DEG/ENaC ion channels. Curr. Biology 11: R205-R208. Tavernarakis, N. and Driscoll, M. (2001) Degenerins: At the core of metazoan mechanotransduction? Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 940: 28-41. Tavernarakis, N. and Driscoll, M. (2001) Mechanotransduction in C. elegans: the role of DEG/ENaC ion channels. Cell. Biochem. Biophys. 35: 1-18.