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Professor, Department Head David R. Benson
picture Professor, Department Head David R. Benson
University of Connecticut
Molecular & Cell Biology, BSP 408
91 North Eagleville Road, Unit 3125
Storrs, CT 06269-3125
Telephone: (860) 486-4258
Fax: (860) 486-4331
E-Mail: david.benson@uconn.edu
Visit Professor, Department Head Benson's Website.

Education: Ph.D. Microbiology, Rutgers University; Postdoctoral study, Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin

Research Interests: Microbial physiology and prokaryotic molecular biology. Evolution and molecular ecology of plant microbe symbioses in actinorhizal plants. Physiology, biochemistry, and evolution of psychrophilic bacteria. Ecology and diversity of microorganisms in foods.

Selected Publications:

Normand, P. and D. R. Benson. 2008. Family Frankiaceae. Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Volume 4 The Actinobacteria. In Press.

J. E. Mastronunzio, L. S. Tisa, P. Normand and D. R. Benson. 2008. Comparative secretome analysis suggests low plant cell wall degrading capacity in Frankia symbionts. BMC Genomics 9:47-65.

Sen, A., S. Sur, A. K. Bothra, D. R. Benson, P. Normand and L. S. Tisa. 2008. The implication of life style on codon usage patterns and predicted highly expressed genes for three Frankia genomes. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 93:335-346.

Santos CL, Vieira J, Tavares F, Benson DR, Tisa LS, Berry AM, Moradas-Ferreira P, Normand P. 2008. On the nature of fur evolution: a phylogenetic approach in Actinobacteria. BMC Evol Biol. 2008 Jun 25;8(1):185.

Normand, P., P. Lapierre, L. S. Tisa, J. P. Gogarten, N. Alloisio, E.Bagnarol, C.A. Bassi, A.M. Berry, D. M. Bickhart, N. Choisne,, A. Couloux, B. Cournoyer, S. Cruveiller, V. Daubin, N. Demange, M. P. Francino, E. Goltsman, Y. Huang, O.R. Kopp, L. Labarre, A. Lapidus, C. Lavire, J. Marechal, M. Martinez, J. E. Mastronunzio, B. C. Mullin, J. Niemann, P. Pujic, T. Rawnsley, Z. Rouy, C. Schenowitz, A. Sellstedt, F. Tavares, J. P. Tomkins, D.Vallenet, C. Valverde, L.G. Wall, Y.Wang, C. Medigue, & D. R. Benson. 2007. Genome sizes of facultatively symbiotic Frankia sp. strains reflect host plant biogeography. Genome Res. 17:7-15.

Brian D. Vanden Heuvel, David R. Benson, Esteban Bortiri, and Daniel Potter.2 2004. Frankia sp. strain diversity in sympatric populations of actinorhizal species of Rosaceae and Ceanothus (Rhamnaceae). Can. J. Microbiol. 50(11):989-1000

Benson M. J, J. D. Gawronski D. E. Eveleigh and D. R. Benson. 2004. Intracellular symbionts and other bacteria associated with deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis) from Nantucket and Wellfleet, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70:616-620.