Download CURRICULUM VITAE Dr. Teuta Pilizota Email: [email protected]

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CURRICULUM VITAE
Dr. Teuta Pilizota
Institute of Cell Biology
School of Biological Sciences
King's Buildings (Darwin Building, Room 502)
University of Edinburgh
Mayfield Road, EH9 3JR, Edinburgh, UK
Email: [email protected]
Webpage: http://www.pilizotalab.bio.ed.ac.uk
DOB: 12. March 1979 in Zagreb, Croatia
EDUCATION:
2002 – 2007 Ph.D. in Biological Physics, University of Oxford, Department of Physics
1997 – 2002 Diploma in Physics, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of
Physics. grade average 4.82 (on a scale from 1 to 5)
RESEARCH INTERESTS: osmoregulation and stress response in prokaryotes, optical
trapping techniques, customized fluorescence microscopy, single molecule studies of rotary
motors
EXPERIENCE:
2013 – present
Research on the active regulation of bacterial turgor pressured in response to changes
in their local environment (osmoregulation). Research done as Chancellor’s Fellow at
University of Edinburgh.
2008 – 2012
Research on the active regulation of bacterial turgor pressured in response to changes
in their local environment (osmoregulation). Using state of the art fluorescence
imaging techniques, microfluidic devices and laser based stabilization techniques I
developed an assay for quantitative observations of single bacterial cells during
osmotic shocks at a spatiotemporal resolution inaccessible to previous studies.
Research done together with Assistant Professor Joshua W. Shaevitz.
2007 – 2008
Studied the single stop-start flagellar motor of R. sphaeroides. Employing viscous
flow and optical trapping microscope I discovered that R. sphaeroides employs a
brake to chemotactically stop the motor and that when it stops, the motor stays at
fixed angle or undergoes a slow rotation with clearly visible stepping events. The
measurements represent the first observation of steps in rotation of a wild type
flagellar motor. Research was done together with Dr. Richard M. Berry and Professor
Judith P. Armitage
2002 – 2007
Designed and constructed an optical ‘angle clamp’ for the control of and application
(PhD research) of torque to polystyrene beads attached to single rotary molecular motors. My high
resolution measurements of switching of single E.coli flagelar motors uncovered its’
stochastic multistate nature and lead to identifying allosteric cooperativity that
exhibits conformational spread as a mechanism for the bacterial flagellar motor
switch. I developed the protein purification and single molecule assay techniques for
studying the F1-ATPase rotary motor of Escherichia coli, which lead to a
comprehensive mechanical characterization of the enzyme. Research was conducted
under the guidance of Dr. Richard M. Berry
2001 – 2002
Applied principal component analysis to select the most important frequencies of
(Diploma research) amino acid residues needed for secondary protein structure prediction models.
The obtained models were simpler, with better fitted and cross-validated errors then
previously existing models and I applied them to predict secondary structure of the
proteins with solely amino acid sequence known. Research was conducted under the
guidance of Dr. Bono Lucic and Professor Nenad Trinajstic.
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ACHIEVEMENTS / AWARDS:
2007
Merit Award for exceptional performance, Department of Physics, University of
Oxford
2007
Daiwa Adrian Prize for UK-Japan joint collaboration in Analysis of the Mechanism
and Structural Dynamics of the Bacterial Flagellar motor, UK scientific research
team
2002 - 2005
PhD Scholarship from Bionanotechnology Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration
Oxford, UK (supervised by Dr. Richard M. Berry)
2001
Ecole d'Ete de Phisique Theorique (The Summer School on theoretical physics),
Physics of Biomolecules and cells Travel Grant, Les Houches, France
2001
The 11th Jyväskylä Summer School of Science Travel Grant, University of Jyväskylä,
Finland
2000
7th International Summer School on Biophysics Travel Grant, Rovinj, Croatia
1999 - 2002
City of Zagreb Scholarship, Department of Physics, University of Zagreb
1993-1997
‘The best student of the generation’ award, High school for natural sciences and
mathematics V. Gimnazija
PUBLICATIONS (CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS EXCLUDED):
Pilizota T, Shaevitz JW. Plasmolysis and cell shape depend on solute outer-membrane permeability
during hyperosmotic shock in Escherichia coli. Submitted
Lo CJ, Sowa Y, Pilizota T, Berry RM. The mechanism and kinetics of a sodium-driven bacterial
flagellar motor. Under review.
Bilyard T*, Nakanishi-Matsui* M, Steel B, Pilizota T, Nord A, Hosokawa H, Futai M, Berry RM. Higresolution single-molecule characterization of the enzymatic states in Escherichia coli F1-ATPase.
Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 24 December 2012. 368(1611):20120023.
Pilizota T, Shaevitz JW. Fast, multiphase volume adaptation to hyperosmotic shock by Escherichia
Coli. PLoS ONE 2012 Apr; 7(4): e35205
Fan B*, Branch RW*, Nicolau DV*, Pilizota T, Maini PK, Berry RM. Conformational spread as a
mechanism for coopreativity in the bacterial flagellar switch. Science. 2010 Feb; 327(5966): 685-9.
(Mentioned in Perspectives: An Ensemble View of Allostery, Vincent J. Hilser, Science 5 February
2010: 653-654)
Pilizota T*, Brown M*, Leake MC, Branch RW, Berry RM, Armitage JP. A molecular brake, not a
clutch, stops the Rhodobacter sphaeroides flagellar motor. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2009
Jul;106(28):11582-7. (Mentioned in ‘In This Issue’, PNAS 2009 106 (28) 11427-11428)
Inoue Y, Lo CJ, Fukuoka H, Takahashi H, Sowa Y, Pilizota T, Wadhams G, Homma M, Berry RM,
Ishijima A. Torque-speed relationships of Na+-driven chimeric flagellar motors in Escherichia coli. J
Mol Biol. 2008 Mar; 376(5):1251-9.
Lo CJ, Leake MC, Pilizota T, Berry RM. Non-equivalence of membrane voltage and ion-gradient as
driving forces for the bacterial flagellar motor at low load. Biophys J. 2007 Jul; 93(1):294-302.
Pilizota T, Bilyard T, Bai F, Hosokawa H, Futai M, Berry RM. A programmable optical angle clamp
for rotary molecular motors, Biophys J. 2007 Jul; 93(1):264-275
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Pilizota T, Lucic B, Trinajstic N. Use of variable selection in modeling the secondary structural
content of proteins from their composition of amino acid residues. J Chem Inf Comput Sci. 2004 JanFeb;44(1):113-21.
Book contributions:
Pilizota T, Sowa Y, Berry RM. Chapter: Single-Molecule Studies of Rotary Proteins in Handbook of
Single-Molecule Biophysics, Springer. 2009. Editors: Peter Hinterdorfer and Antoine van Oijen
TEACHING:
2012
2009 – 2010
2006 – 2008
2004 – 2005
Tutor, preparing adult learners (age 25-40) for GED exams, Princeton, New Jersey,
USA.
Lecturer, Math 135, part of Mercer County Community College and The College of
New Jersey AA degree, Edna Mahan Correctional Center for Women in Clinton,
New Jersey, USA.
Marker, Biophysics course, Department of Physics, University of Oxford
Demonstrator, Biological physics practical course, Department of Physics, University
of Oxford
INVITED ORAL PRESENTATIONS:
2012
2012
2012
2010
2010
2010
2008
2007
2007
2005
2005
2005
2005
National Institute of Medical Research, London, UK
School of Biology, University of Edinburgh, UK
Department of Biology, University of York, UK
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle
"Microbial Stress Response" Gordon Research Conference, Mount Holyoke College, MA,
USA
Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford UK
Chemical and Process Engineering Department, Sheffield University seminar series, Sheffield
UK
Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Department of Single Molecule Biophysics,
Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
51st Annual Meeting of American Biophysical Society, Baltimore USA
Bionanotechnology Collaboration Conference, Tokyo Japan, December 2006
Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford UK, November 2005
Croatian Biophysical Society, Zagreb, Croatia
15th Congress of the IUPAB-5th EBSA Congress, Montpellier France
SCIENCE OUTREACH
2004 – 2007 Connect project leader, Connect is a project of NGO znanost.org (science.org) who’s
goals and activities include network building for knowledge professionals, reversing the
brain-drain into the skills-gain, organizing annual gatherings of Croatian scientists
working in the country and abroad, funding student projects and research experience
2003 – 2007 Executive board member, NGO znanost.org (science.org)
2002 – 2007 NGO znanost.org (science.org), member, znanost.org is a non-governmental organization
whose function is to promote education, science and knowledge-based values in Croatian
society through a hands-on approach
PERSONAL INTERESTS
Fitness; certified fitness instructor for indoor cycling and Les Mills and Zumba group fitness classes
(resume: http://pilizotalab.bio.ed.ac.uk/resumeTP.pdf)
Other; Dancing; running.
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