Department of Biology

                          Joseph McCray

                                    Department of Biology

                                       Associate Professor

Ph.D Thesis:

Education:

B.S.: Biology, Morehouse College, year
Ph.D.: Biochemistry, Purdue University, 1974 

Courses Taught:

General Biology (Honors) (BIO 111-112 Honors

Biochemistry (BIO 315)

Senior Seminar in Biology (BIO 425)

Research Interests:

Immunochemistry
Peptide antibodies as vaccines for the common cold and Schistosomiasis

The major project in the laboratory involves studies of the cell surface receptor binding sites of rhinoviruses, a major cause of the common cold, using anti-peptide antibodies. Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against two synthetic peptides related to this site have been prepared, purified, and characterized. At present, the study of the specific characteristics of these antipeptide antibodies is being continued and study of their ability to neutralize infectivity of rhinoviruses in in vitro systems is being initiated. In addition, in collaboration with Dr. Paul Knopf's research group at Brown University we have studied a vaccine approach to schistosomiasis. The laboratory has prepared both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against synthetic peptides from a candidate vaccine antigen. These antibodies have been used analytically to study expression of the antigen. Passive protection experiments with one of the monoclonal antibodies were also done using a mouse model.

Selected Publications:

Abstracts

Petzke, M.M., P.K. Suri, M. Goldberg, S.F. Taylor, S. Ranji, H. Taylor, J.W. McCray, Jr. and P.M. Knopf. 1999. Evidence of alternative antigenic conformations of an epitope of Sm25, a tegumental protein of Schistosoma mansoni. (under revision)

Suri, P.K., M. Goldberg, B. Chakraborty, K.B. Nguyen, R. Bungiro, Jr., M. Madikisela, M.M. Petzke, S. J. Davies, J.W. McCray, Jr. and P.M. Knopf. 1997. Evaluation of recombinant protein r140, a polypeptide segment of tegumental glycoprotein Sm25, As a defined antigen vaccine against Schistosoma mansoni. Parasite Immunology 19: 5515-1529

Aschauer, B., G, Werner, J. McCray, B. Rosenwirth, and H. Bachmayer. 1991. Biologically active protease 3C of human rhinovirus IA is expressed from a cloned cDNA segment in Escherichia coli. Virology, 184: 587-594.

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Department of Biology
Morehouse College
830 Westview Dr. SW
Atlanta , GA 30314

Office: 322 Nabrit-Mapp-McBay Science Building

 (404) 215-2609
(404) 681-2800 x2320
FAX (404) 522-9564
jmccray@morehouse.edu

 

Last Updated: Aug. 25, 03 / Porsch R. Fallen