Miguel Cervantes-Cervantes

Instructor and Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers

Contact Info

Office: 206 Boyden Hall
Office Phone: (973) 353-1295
E-FAX: (360) 397-5903
E-mail: miguelcc@andromeda.rutgers.edu

Personal/Lab Web Sites

http://newarkbioweb.rutgers.edu/Cervantes%20Lab/

Educational Background

Research Interests

In recent years my interest has focused on biochemical genetics of cereal seeds and bioinformatics. The seeds of maize, rice, wheat and other cereals are indispensable in the diet of a large proportion of the human population. I find the phenomenon of seed germination a most intriguing subject because of the significant number of metabolic pathways that occur during embryonic development. In addition, mechanisms for transport of water, ions and small organic molecules are essential components of seed. Understanding biochemical phenomena and regulation of gene expression in the cereal seed will facilitate metabolic engineering efforts, as scientists world-wide aim to enhance nutritional content, adaptation to adverse environments, storage, and other agriculturally important aspects of seed physiology.

Another important professional concern of mine is science education at the college and university level. The United States of America must, once again, take the lead in science productivity and as a consequence in the education of its citizens in the sciences. I am always searching for ways to channel scientific discovery and discourse into learning in the teaching laboratory, the lecture hall, and the world as a global classroom.

Selected Publications

• Byron K, Cervantes-Cervantes M, Yu X, Wang JTL. 2009. Biological Informatics: Data, Tools, and Applications. Wiley-Interscience.
• Byron K, Cervantes-Cervantes M, Wang JTL, Lin W-c, Park Y. 2009. Mining Rox1 RNA in Drosophila genomes using covariance models. Int J Comput Biol 1 (in press).
• Nuntanakorn P, Jiang B, Yang H, Cervantes-Cervantes M, Kronenberg F, Kennelly EJ. 2007. Analysis of polyphenolic compounds and radical scavenging activity of four Actaea species. Phytochem Anal 18:219-228.
  
• Cervantes-Cervantes M, Gallagher CE, Zhu C, Wurtzel ET. 2006. Maize cDNAs expressed in endosperm encode functional farnesyl diphosphate synthase with geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase activity. Plant Physiol 140:220-231.
• Gallagher CE, Cervantes-Cervantes M, Wurtzel ET. 2003. Surrogate biochemistry: Use of Escherichia coli to identify plant cDNAs that impact metabolic engineering of carotenoid accumulation. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 60:713-719.
• Opler A, Mizell R, Robert A, Cervantes-Cervantes M, Kincaid D, Kennelly EJ. 2002. Use of a simple and inexpensive bioassay to study herbal teas in the classroom results in original data. Am Biol Teacher 64:516-524.
• Cervantes-C M, Zamudio-Ruíz S. 2001. Lentibulariaceae. In: Rzedowski, GC-de, Rzedowski J, et al. Flora Fanerogámica del Valle de México, 2^nd Edn, Instituto de Ecología, AC and Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad, Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, México. Pp. 706-709.
• Kuo A, Cappelluti S, Cervantes-Cervantes M, Rodríguez M, Bush DS. 1996. Okadaic acid, a protein phosphatase inhibitor, blocks calcium changes, gene expression and cell death induced by gibberellin in wheat aleurone cells. Plant Cell 8:259-269.
• Cervantes-Cervantes M, Bush DS. 1994. Role of a Ca²⁺/nH⁺ antiporter in the regulation of cytoplasmic calcium in aleurone layers from wheat. American Society for Plant Physiology, 1994 Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon. Plant Physiol 105(Suppl.):149.

Recent Laboratory Manuals

• Cervantes-Cervantes M. 2008. Foundations of Biology Laboratory Manual. Rutgers University–Campus at Newark, Department of Biological Sciences. Electronic version only.
• Cervantes-Cervantes M. 2000. Plant Physiology Laboratory Manual. Lehman College–City University of New York, Department of Biological Sciences. Electronic version only.