Dr. Josie LoRicco

research scientist - sponsored research

Address:
Center for Integrated Sciences (CIS), Room 143
Department of Biology
Skidmore Microscopy Imaging Center (SMIC)

Department of Biology
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

SMIC webpage

Telephone: 518-580-TBD
E-mail: jloricco@skidmore.edu 

Education:

• B.S. Biochemistry & Biophysics (2014) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY)    
• Ph.D.  Biochemistry & Biophysics (2019) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY)   
• Postdoctoral Research (2019-2021) INSA de Lyon (France)

Research Interests:

Past Research Interests: My PhD research focused on understanding the aggregation of protein into amyloid fibrils which are associated with many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. My previous postdoctoral studies looked at the structure of archaeal membranes and looked for possible adaptation mechanisms of these membranes to high pressure and temperature conditions.

Current Research Interests: My current research takes place in the lab of Dr. Domozych studying the evolution of the cell wall in plants using the Zygnematophyte green algae, Penium margaritaceum, as a model organism. Penium displays many similarities to land plants, including the production of many cell wall components and belongs to the group of algae most closely related to land plants. Understanding the membrane trafficking network and secretion of cell wall materials in Penium may provide insights into how ancestors of these organisms were able to colonize land, and give rise to land plants. My research probes the secretory network of Penium using both cell biology, and chemical biology approaches. Research techniques include: light microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, transmission election microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and immunocytochemistry, as well as other biochemical methodologies.

Selected Publications:

• LoRicco, J.G., Salvador-Castell, M., Demé, B., Peters, J., Oger, P.M. (2020) Frontiers in Chemistry 8, 594039, doi: 10.3389/fchem.2020.594039
• Xu, S., LoRicco, J.G., Bishop, A.C., James, N.A., Huynh, W.H., McCallum, S.A., Roan, N.R., Makhatadze, G.I. (2020) Sequence-independent recognition of the amyloid structural motif by GFP protein family. P.N.A.S 117, 22122–27, doi: 10.1073/pnas.2001457117
• LoRicco, J.G., Xu, C. S., Neidleman, J., Bergkvist, M., Greene, W. C., Roan, N. R., and Makhatadze, G. I. (2016) Gallic Acid Is an Antagonist of Semen Amyloid Fibrils That Enhance HIV-1 Infection., J. Biol. Chem. 291, 14045–55, doi: 10.1074/jbc.M116.718684

Selected Awards:

• NIH/NIGMS Pre-doctoral fellowship in Biomolecular Sciences (2015-2017)