looking for a post-doctoral position

[daemon at net.bio.net]

Hello,

I am a graduate student (plant biology) at Laval University, Quebec
city. I am submitting my thesis this month and would be defending in
August.I am therefore looking for a post-doctoral position where I can
apply knowledge of molecular bioogy, biochemistry (enzymology). I would
be available from the month of September, 1998.

During both, my pre-doctorate and doctorate studies, I have got
experience and am well versed with molecular, biochemical and tissue
cultural techniques.

As a graduate student, I worked on research project aimed at
'Identifying, isolating and characterizing a cysteine proteinase
inhibitor specific to the digestive proteinases of potato pest, Colorado
potato beetle, and its application in pest control.'

I was successful in inducing a novel cysteine proteinase inhibitor via a
gamma-linolenic signalling pathway.

This is first kind of a study in plants where an unusual fatty acid,
gamma-linolenic acid, is involved in inducing defense response in
plants, one of the defense molecules being a cystatin, a cysteine
proteinase inhibitor. With isolation and purification and biochemical
characterization of this cystatin, our lab is now concentrating on
elucidating the defense pathway, and also in isolation of the cystatin
gene induced in response to the GLA treatment in tomato leaves.

As a research assistant I have worked on projects involved in:
1) the regulation of expression of a rice and Pigeon pea seed storage
protein during seed development.
2) isolating and characterizing photosynthetic variants in cultured
cells of Chenopodium rubrum, in response to chronic exposures of DCMU
and high temperature conditions.
3) Organization of repeat DNA in the genome of various pigeon pea
varieties.

I have included resume for reference.

Thank you,

Sincerely yours,
Savita Visal
_____________________________________________________________________

Savita Visal

  Horticultural Research Center,
  Pav. Envirotron, Laval University,
  Quebec city, Quebec,
  Canada G1K 7P4.

Phone: (418) 656 2131 extn. 8874 (lab)
	   (418) 654 1468 (home)
Email: aai140 at agora.ulaval.ca

PERSONAL

* Language proficiency in both English and French.
* Status in Canada: Permanent Resident of Canada

EDUCATION

* Ph.D. in Plant Biology, Laval University, PQ, Canada, Summer 1998.
  Specialization: Induction, Isolation and Characterization of a
  Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitor in tomato leaves in response to gamma-
  linolenic acid treatment.
* M.Sc (Botany), Pune University, India, 1990.
  Specialization: Pharmacognosy
* B.Sc. (Botany) Pune University, India, 1988.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

* Graduate Student, Laval University, Quebec, Canada, 1993-1998.
* Research fellow of University Grants Commission sponsored research
  fellowship, National Chemical Laboratory, India, 1991-1993.
* Research Assistant, Botany Dept., Pune University, India, 1990-1991

Major Research Projects

* Identification, isolation and characterization of proteinaceous PI
  active against CPB digestive proteinases, induced in response to
  gamma-linolenic acid treatment.
* Isolation and characterization of genes encoding seed storage proteins
  in pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), Leguminosae.
* Organization of repeat DNA in the genome of various pigeon pea
  varieties.
* Cloning, analysis and regulation of genes encoding seed storage
  proteins in rice (O. sativa)
* Isolation and characterization of photosynthetic variants in cultured
  cells.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

* Isolation of DNA and RNA, genomic and plasmid DNA, PCR amplification.
* Construction of recombinant plasmids.
* Isolation, purification and characterization of proteins.
* Recombinant (fusion) protein purifications.
* Gel chromatography techniques, spectrophotometry.
* Nucleic acids and protein electrophoretic techniques.
* Southern, Northern and Western blotting and hybridization techniques.
* DNA Sequencing (Sangers method).
* In Vitro Cultures.

ACHIEVEMENTS

* Modified an existing in gel proteinase detection technique, now
  enabling simultaneous detection of both proteinase activities as well
  as their molecular weights.
* Successful in inducing, isolating and characterizing a novel cystatin
  in tomato leaves in response to unusual fatty acid, g-linolenic acid.
* By cloning unique internal fragment of the pea vicilin cDNA,
  demonstrated unrelatedness of pigeon pea vicilin with the sweet pea
  vicilin, as was detected by Southern and, screening of genomic as well
  as plasmid libraries.
* Transcription of functional repeats, (CAC)5 and (GATA)4, in rice.
* Designed an extraction buffer for isolation of nucleic acids from any
  organisms with high concentration phenolics.

COMPUTER SKILLS

* Proficiency in MSWord, Excel, Claris Draw, GenBank, Ofoto, Powerpoint,
  Internet (Netscape, Internet Explorer), WordPerfect.
* Worked with Windows 95, DOS 6.0, Macintosh operating systems.

COMMUNICATIONS

* Visal S, Taylor M and Michaud D: The proregion of papaya proteinase IV
  may act as an inhibitor of insect digestive cysteine proteinases
  (under revision for FEBS Letters).
* Savita Visal, Binh Nguyen-Qouc, Serge Yelle and Dominique Michaud:
  Visual discrimination of protease inhibitor-sensitive and insensitive
  proteinases using an electroblotting gelatin/PAGE system (submiitted
  to Analytical Biochemistry).
* Michaud D and Visal S: Inhibition of protein digestion in herbivorous
insects:
  The choice of effective inhibition strategies Invited Review: Arch.
Insect
  Biochem. Physiol., 1998 (in preparation)
* Visal S and Dominique Michaud: 'Plant PI/pest protease biochemical
  interactions- a working model (manuscript in preparation for a book
  chapter (Recombinant protease inhibitors in plants*, Academic press).
* Visal S, Overney S, Gleddie S, Cloutier C, Yelle S and Michaud D:
  Induction, isolation and characterization of a novel tomato cysteine
  proteinase inhibitor in response to g-linolenic acid active against
  the digestive proteinases of the Colorado potato beetle (manuscript in
  preparation).

ABSTRACT PUBLICATIONS

** Oral Presentations

* Visal, S. Overney, D. Michaud and S. Yelle: Identification of a
  g-linolenic acid-induced tomato leaf cystatin-like protein with
  potential for biocontrol of the phytophagous pest Colorado potato
  beetle.  In The Annual Meeting of the American Society of Plant
  Physiologists, July 26-31, 1996, San Antonio, Texas.
* Visal, S. Overney, D. Michaud, B. Nguyen-Quoc and S. Yelle: Insect
  pest control: Search for a putative proteinase inhibitors against
  Colorado potato beetle.  In 37th Annual Meeting of the Canadian
  Federation of Biological Societies, June, 16-18, 1994, Montreal,
  Quebec.
* Savita Visal, Kishore Pandit and Sujata Bhargava: Betacyanin
  accumulation in Chenopodium rubrum callus cultures due to herbicide
  stress. In National Seminar on Modern Trends in Botany, February 21-
  24, 1991, Department of Botany, Pune University, India.

** Poster Presentations

* Savita Visal, Taylor MAJ and Michaud D: 'The proregion of papaya
  proteinase IV inhibits insect digestive cysteine proteinases* The ASPP
  Annual Meeting, June 27 - July 1, 1998, Madison, WI USA.
* Savita Visal, Serge Yelle and Dominique Michaud: ' Cross-compensation'
  to cysteine proteinase inhibitors in Colorado potato beetles feeding
  on Oryzacystatin I-expressing potato plants, in The Quadrennial Joint
  Annual Meetings of American Society of Plant Physiologists, Canadian
  Society of Plant Physiologists, Japanese Society of Plant
  Physiologists and Australian Society of Plant Physiologists, Inc.,
  Aug. 2-6, 1997, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
* Michaud, Line Cantin, S. Visal and Thierry C. Vrain: Differential
  susceptibility of Oryzacystatin I and  Oryzacystatin II to proteolytic
  cleavage. In  The Annual Matting of the American Society of Plant
  Physiologists, July 26-31, 1996, San Antonio, Texas.
* Visal, S. Overney and S.Yelle: Identification and purification of a
  tomato cystatin-like proteinase inhibitor,: Potential use for control
  of Colorado potato beetle. In XIII International Plant Protection
  Congress, July 2-7, 1995, The Hague, The Netherlands.

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTS AND AWARDS

* Instructing faculty for Department of Biotechnology sponsored short
  term training workshop on ' Development and Use of RFLPs in plant
  biotechnology', at The Plant Mol. Biol. Unit, Div. Biochem., Natl.
  Chem.Lab., Pune, India, December 2-23, 1992
* University Grants Commission Award, India - The Junior Research
  Fellowship in Life Science, 1991.

SEMINARS

* Scaffold attachment regions in higher plants, 1995, Laval
  University, Canada.
* Use of genetic engineering techniques, an overview*, 1992, Pune
  Univ., India.
* Genetic engineering, an introduction, 1992, Fergusson College, Pune,
  India.


REFERENCES

* Dr. Serge Yelle,
  CRH, Pav. Envirotron,
  Laval Univ., Quebec,
  PQ, Canada G1K 7P4.
  Tel.: (418) 656 5780
  Email: serge.yelle at plg.ulaval.ca

* Dr. Fran=E7ois Belzile
  Life Science Dept.,
  Laval Univ., Quebec,
  PQ, Canada G1K 7P4.
  Tel.: (418) 656 5873
  Email: fbelzile at rsvs.ulaval.ca

* Dr. Dominique Michaud,
  CRH, Pav. Envirotron,
  Laval Univ., Quebec
  PQ, Canada G1K 7P4
  Tel: (418) 656 2131 extn  5076
  Email:  dominique.michaud at plg.ulaval.ca