Judith Van Houten

University Distinguished Professor Emerita

judith.vanhouten@uvm.edu
(802) 656-2922
judith.vanhouten@uvm.edu
+18026562922

Marsh Life Science Building, Rm 120 A
109 Carrigan Dr
Burlington, VT 05405
United States
The Van Houten Lab
Alma mater(s)
  • Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara
  • University of British Columbia, NIH Postdoctoral Fellow
Affiliated Department(s)
  • Vermont EPSCoR Director 
  • Vermont Genetics Network Director

BIO

My interests center on chemoreception using Paramecium, a single-celled animal, as a model. These cells are like little swimming neurons and, like our neurons that detect odors or tastes, they respond to stimuli by membrane electrical changes.

We approach sensing of chemical stimuli on several levels:

  • membrane biochemistry to identify receptors and "signal transduction" components that turn a chemical stimulus signal into anelectrical one;
  • molecular genetics to clone genes for receptors and other proteins in chemoreception and to make predictable changes in the gene and protein sequences;
  • measurements of calcium and calcium metabolism by fluorescence and isotopic methods;
  • measurements of internal, second messengers such as cyclic nucleotides;
  • electrophysiology to characterize membrane electrical changes;
  • motion analysis to digitize normal and mutant swimming.

We are extending our expertise in plasma membrane calcium pumps (PMCAs) to mouse olfactory neurons. We have found 4 PMCAs in mouse olfactory neurons, and loss of PMCAs in knockout animals (courtesy of G. Shull) slows calcium clearance after stimulation.

Judith Van Houten, Ph.D. Biography

Publications

Judith Van Houten Publications (DOCX)

Awards and Achievements

Area(s) of expertise

Chemical signal transduction

Bio

My interests center on chemoreception using Paramecium, a single-celled animal, as a model. These cells are like little swimming neurons and, like our neurons that detect odors or tastes, they respond to stimuli by membrane electrical changes.

We approach sensing of chemical stimuli on several levels:

  • membrane biochemistry to identify receptors and "signal transduction" components that turn a chemical stimulus signal into anelectrical one;
  • molecular genetics to clone genes for receptors and other proteins in chemoreception and to make predictable changes in the gene and protein sequences;
  • measurements of calcium and calcium metabolism by fluorescence and isotopic methods;
  • measurements of internal, second messengers such as cyclic nucleotides;
  • electrophysiology to characterize membrane electrical changes;
  • motion analysis to digitize normal and mutant swimming.

We are extending our expertise in plasma membrane calcium pumps (PMCAs) to mouse olfactory neurons. We have found 4 PMCAs in mouse olfactory neurons, and loss of PMCAs in knockout animals (courtesy of G. Shull) slows calcium clearance after stimulation.

Judith Van Houten, Ph.D. Biography

Publications

Judith Van Houten Publications (DOCX)

Awards and Achievements

Areas of Expertise

Chemical signal transduction