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Christopher Parker

Christopher Parker, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Microbiology, Department Chair
STC 110
817-531-6559
ctparker@txwes.edu
Website

Education:

  • BS in Biology, Sam Houston State University, 1996
  • MS in Biology, Sam Houston State University, 1999
  • PhD in Microbiology, The University of Texas at Austin, 2007

Research Interests/Scholastic Profile:

Dr. Parker’s research interests lie in the relationships formed between microorganisms and their environment. Specifically, his research revolves around strategies that may be used by bacteria to sense and respond to environmental signals.  One project focuses on the role of leucine-responsive regulatory protein (Lrp) in controlling a pair of closely linked genes implicated in stress response and signal sensing. His other research interests involve the study of microbiomes of various environmental conditions and how those communities change over time.  Example include the changes in oral microbiome due to various environmental stresses, and the change in microbes present during the production of whiskey.

 

Courses taught at Texas Wesleyan:

                        BIO 2441 - Microbiology

                        BIO 1406 – Contemporary Biology

                        BIO 1403 – Fundamentals of Science

                        BIO 3352 – Research Methods in Biology

                        BIO 4426 – Infection and Immunity

                        BIO 4351 – Senior research in Biology

           

Publications

Christopher Parker and Richard J. Meyer. 2002. Selection of plasmid molecules for conjugative transfer and replacement strand synthesis in the donor. Molecular Microbiology. 46(3):761-768

Christopher Parker, Xiao-lin Zhang, Dorian Henderson, Eric Becker and Richard J. Meyer. 2002. Conjugative DNA synthesis: R1162 and the question of rolling-circle replication. Plasmid. 48:186-192.

Christopher Parker and Richard J. Meyer. 2005. Mechanisms of strand replacement synthesis for plasmid DNA transferred by conjugation. Journal of Bacteriology. 187(10): 3400-3406.

Christopher Parker, Eric Becker, Xiaolin Zhang, Sarah Jandle and Richard J. Meyer. 2005. Elements in the co-evolution of relaxases and their origins of transfer. Plasmid. 53:113-118.

Christopher Parker and Richard J. Meyer. 2007. The R1162 relaxase/primase contains two, type IV transport signals that require the small plasmid protein MobB. Molecular Microbiology. 66(1):252-261.

Christopher T. Parker and Vanessa Sperandio. 2009. Cell-to-cell signaling during pathogenesis. Cellular Microbiology. 11(3):363-369.

Melissa Kendall, Charley Gruber, Christopher Parker, and Vanessa Sperandio. 2012. Ethanolamine controls expression of genes encoding for inter-kingdom signaling and virulence in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7. mBio. 3(3).

Cristiano G Moreira, Carmen M Herrera, Brittany D Needham, Christopher T Parker, Stephen J Libby, Ferric C Fang, M Stephen Trent, and Vanessa Sperandio. 2012. Virulence and stress-related periplasmic protein (VisP) in bacterial/host associations. PNAS 110(4):1470–1475.

Christopher T. Parker and Vanessa Sperandio. Alteration of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli sensor kinase QseC activity through point mutations in the periplasmic domain. In preparation.

Presentations

Escherichia coli genes which are repressed under iron-limited conditions. Christopher T. Parker and Harry D. Kurtz, Jr. Poster presentation. 1996. American Society for Microbiology Texas Branch Spring Meeting, Junction, Texas.

Escherichia coli genes which are repressed under iron-limited conditions. Christopher T. Parker and Harry D. Kurtz, Jr. Oral presentation. 1996. Beta Beta Beta South Central Convention, Lake Texoma, Oklahoma.

Siderophore utilization by Caulobacter crescentus. Chris Parker and Harry D. Kurtz, Jr. Poster presentation. 1998. American Society for Microbiology Texas Branch Fall Meeting, College Station, Texas.

Siderophore utilization by Caulobacter crescentus. Chris Parker and Harry D. Kurtz, Jr. Oral Presentation. 1999. American Society for Microbiology Texas Branch Spring Meeting, Junction, Texas.

Structural predictions for the periplasmic domain of QseC, an epinephrine sensor of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. Chris Parker. Poster presentation. 2008. UT Southwestern Medical Center Molecular Microbiology Graduate Program Retreat, Dallas, Texas.

Characterization of QseC, an epinephrine sensor of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. C. Parker and V. Sperandio. Poster presentation. 2008. American Society for Microbiology General Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts.

The effect of amino acid substitutions in the periplasmic domain of QseC, an epinephrine sensor of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. C. Parker and V. Sperandio. Poster presentation. 2009. 7th International Symposium on Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli Infections, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Structure and function of Escherichia coli sensor kinase QseC. Chris Parker. Oral presentation. 2009. UT Southwestern Medical Center Molecular Microbiology Graduate Program Retreat, Fort Worth, Texas.

The possible roles of conserved amino acids in the periplasmic domain of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli sensor kinase QseC. Chris Parker and Vanessa Sperandio. 2011. Cold Spring Harbor Microbial Pathogenesis & Host Response Meeting, Cold Spring Harbor, New York.

The possible roles of conserved amino acids in the periplasmic domain of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli sensor kinase QseC. Chris Parker and Vanessa Sperandio. 2012. 9th Annual Postdoctoral Research Symposium, Dallas, Texas.

Student Research

Morgan Kirkpatrick (2014-2015): Resistance to Industrial Sanitizers due to the Presence of HorA.