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Dr. Robert Bellin
Associate Professor
Ph. D., Iowa State University
Biochemistry

Teaching

Research

Selected Publications

Biochemistry Concentration

Web links

Contact Information
Office: O'Neil 331
Lab: O'Neil 332
Email:rbellin@holycross.edu
Phone:
(508) 793-3422 -- (Office and Labs)
(508) 793-2656 -- (Department)
FAX: (508) 793-2696

Office Hours: Spring Semester 2010
Tuesday 11-noon
Thursday 3:30-5 PM
Friday 2-3 PM
Other times by appointment

Last updated: 19 January 2010

 
At a poster session with 2008-09 research students Gosha Smas, Beth Morse, Christina Edgerly and Chadd Baer


  Teaching

    Biochemistry 1 (Biology 301) -- fall

    Biochemistry 1 Lab (Biology 303) -- fall

    Biochemistry 2 (Biology 302) -- spring

    Biochemistry 2 Lab (Biology 304) -- spring

    Biological Principles: Biochemistry of Health and Disease (Biology 114) -- spring

    Course materials for my current courses are available through HC Moodle

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    Biochemistry Concentration

    Click the image for information about the Holy Cross Biochemistry Concentration jointly offered by the Departments of Biology and Chemistry

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    Research

    My research group focuses primarily on the biochemistry of a family of transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycans known as syndecans. Through a multi-faceted approach including protein purification, cell culture, microscopy and molecular interaction assays, studies in my lab focus on examining the roles that syndecan proteins play in both normal cell function and in disease states. Our current efforts are focused on the exploring the functions that syndecan proteins play in focal adhesion formation and mechanotransduction, as well as in the diseases neurofibromatosis type-2 and breast cancer.


    Students with an interest in biochemistry who would like to consider pursuing a research project in my laboratory are encouraged to contact me at their earliest convenience.

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    Selected Publications

    (For more complete publication information, refer to my CV)

    Cheng, C.M., Y.W, Lin, R.M. Bellin, R.L. Steward, Y.R. Cheng, P.R. LeDuc, and C.C. Chen (2010) Probing Localized Neural Mechanotransduction through Surface-Modified Elastomeric Matrices and Electrophysiology Nature Protocols In press.

    Bellin, R.M., M.K. Bruno, M.A, Farrow (2010) Purification and Characterization of Taq Polymerase: A 9-Week Biochemistry Laboratory Project for Undergraduate Students. Biochem. Mol. Biol. Educ. In press.

    Bellin, R.M., J.D. Kubicek, M.J. Frigault*, A.J. Kamien*, H.M. Barnes*, M.B. DiGiacomo*, L.J. Duncan*, C.K. Edgerly*, E.M. Morse*, C. Cheng, and P.R. LeDuc. (2009) Defining the Role of Syndecan-4 in Mechanotransduction using Surface-Modification Approaches. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA.106:22102-22107 {Open access PDF}

    Bellin, R.M. and K.V. Mills (2007) The Holy Cross Biochemistry Concentration: An Integrated Four-Year Program to Develop Undergraduate Research Scholars in Designing, Implementing, and Sustaining a Research-Supportive Undergraduate Curriculum (K.K. Karukstis and T.E. Elgren, eds.), pp. 394-396, Council on Undergraduate Research

    LeDuc, P.R. and R.M. Bellin (2006) Nanoscale intracellular organization and functional architecture mediating cellular behavior. Ann. Biomed. Eng. 34:102-113 {PubMed link}

    Lee, H.-S., R.M. Bellin, D.L. Walker, B. Patel, P. Powers, H. Liu, B. Garcia-Alvarez, J.M. de Pereda, R.C. Liddington, N. Volkmann, D. Hanein, D.R. Critchley and R.M. Robson (2004) Characterization of an actin-binding site within the talin FERM domain. J. Mol. Biol. 343:771-784 {PubMed link}

    Robson, R.M., T.W. Huiatt, and R.M. Bellin (2004) Muscle Intermediate Filament Proteins in Methods in Cell Biology Vol. 78 (M.B. Omary and P.A. Coulombe, eds.), pp. 519-553, Elsevier Science, USA, {PubMed link}

    Bellin, R.M., I. Capila, J. Lincecum, P.W. Park, O. Reizes and M.R. Bernfield (2003) Unlocking the secrets of syndecans: transgenic organisms as a potential key. Glycoconj. J. 19: 295-304 {PubMed link}

    Stromer, M.H., M.S. Mayes, R.M. Bellin (2002) Use of actin isoform-specific antibodies to probe the domain structure in three smooth muscles.  Histochem. Cell Biol.118:291-299 {PubMed link}

    Bellin, R.M., T.W. Huiatt, D.R. Critchley, and R.M. Robson (2001) Synemin may function to directly link muscle cell intermediate filaments to both myofibrillar Z-lines and costameres. J. Biol. Chem. 276: 32330-32337 {PubMed link}

    Lee, H.S., R.M. Bellin, and R.M. Robson (2001) Talin in The Encyclopedia of Molecular Medicine Vol. 5, pp. 3087-3089, John Wiley & Sons, New York

    Schweitzer, S., M.W. Klymkowsky, R.M. Bellin, R.M. Robson, Y. Capetanaki, and R.M. Evans (2001) Paranemin and the organization of desmin filament networks J. Cell Sci. 114:1079-1089 {PubMed link}

    Sultana, S., S.W. Sernett, R.M. Bellin, R.M. Robson, and O. Skalli (2000) Intermediate filament protein synemin is transiently expressed in a subset of astrocytes during development. Glia 30:143-153 {Pubmed link}

    Bellin, R.M., S.W. Sernett, B. Becker, W. Ip., T.W. Huiatt, and R.M. Robson (1999) Molecular characteristics and interactions of the intermediate filament protein synemin: Interactions with alpha-actinin may anchor synemin-containing heterofilaments. J. Biol. Chem. 274: 29493-29499 {Pubmed link}

    Bellin, R.M., S.W. Sernett, and R.M. Robson (1999) Synemin in Guidebook to the Cytoskeletal and Motor Proteins, Second Edition (T. Kreis and R. Vale, eds.), pp. 322-324, Oxford Univ. Press, UK

    Bilak, S.R., S.W. Sernett, M.M. Bilak, R.M. Bellin, M.H. Stromer, T.W. Huiatt, and R. M. Robson (1998) Properties of the novel intermediate filament protein synemin and its identification in mammalian muscle. Arch. Biochem. Biophysics 355: 63-76 {Pubmed link}

    Hemken, P.M., R.M. Bellin, S.W. Sernett, B. Becker, T.W. Huiatt, and R.M. Robson (1997) Molecular characteristics of the novel intermediate filament protein paranemin: sequence reveals EAP-300 and IFAPa-400 are highly homologous to paranemin. J. Biol. Chem. 272: 32489-32499 {Pubmed link}

    Becker, B., R.M. Bellin, S.W. Sernett, T.W. Huiatt, and R.M. Robson (1995) Synemin contains the rod domain of intermediate filaments. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 213: 796-802 {Pubmed link}

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