Dr. Murray’s Research
Making scientific discoveries regarding the brain, and enabling others to expand on these discoveries, is exceptionally rewarding. With this as my motivation, I have devoted most of my scientific and bioengineering career to making tools, both physical and biological, that enable researchers to probe the deepest and most nuanced systems in the brain.
My work has taken me from developing a scalable process for applying a coating to neural implants that reduced glial scarring to cloning a neural receptor and then fusing it to fluorescent proteins (FP) for studying subunit coassembly. Later, I used these FP-tagged receptors as bait to screen a peptide library for potential probes. I also used FP-tagged receptors to discover an effect of a chaperone protein on receptor trafficking and to develop a cell-based high-throughput screening (HTS) assay to test compounds affecting regulation of receptor protein expression. My latest project is expanding the use of micro-optics and multiphoton microscopy for in vivo brain imaging into subcortical brain regions. While my focus has been on neuroscience, the tools and techniques I have developed have broad applications for research in the life sciences and translational research.
My future goals are to continue expanding the reach, duration, and functionality of micro-optics for neuroscience applications and to create living bio-optical systems using molecular and cellular engineering. By combining these two approaches, which I call micro-bio-optics, I will have a powerful new set of tools that can (1) measure the effect of drugs and therapies for translational biomedical research, (2) identify and track biomolecules in vitro and in vivo for basic research, (3) study the effect of coatings on implanted devices, (4) evaluate the utility of novel high-affinity probes for in vitro and in vivo use in selective targeting and (5) create new methods .
While my focus has been on neuroscience, some of the tools and techniques I have developed have broad applications for research in the life sciences and for drug discovery.
Specialties
Neural Engineering/Research: Micro-optics for in vivo imaging, multi-electrode array implantation and recording, receptor trafficking studies.
Optical Microscopy: FRET, FRAP, TIRF multiphoton, confocal microscopy.
Molecular Biology: fluorescent protein fusions to proteins
Publications
Peer Reviewed Publications
SG Parra, SS Vesuna, TA Murray, MJ Levene (2012) Multiphoton microscopy of cleared mouse brain expressing YFP. J. Vis. Exp., pub. 9/24/2012, e3848 10.3791/3848, DOI: 10.3791/3848. http://www.jove.com/video/3848/multiphoton-microscopy-of-cleared-mouse-brain-expressing-yfp.
TA Murray, MJ Levene (2012) Singlet gradient index lens for deep in vivo multiphoton microscopy. J. Biomedical Optics, Special Section on Endomicroscopy Technologies and Biomedical Applications 17[2]: 021106. Available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/1.JBO.17.2.021106.
TA Murray, D Bertrand, RL Papke, AA George, R Pantoja, R Srinivasan, Q Liu, J Wu, P Whiteaker, HA Lester, RJ Lukas (2012) alpha7beta2 nAChRs assemble and function, and are activated primarily via their alpha7-alpha7 interfaces. Mol Pharmacol, Vol. 81(2): 175-188. PMC 3263954. Available online at http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/81/2/175.long.
TA Murray, Q Liu, P Whiteaker, J Wu and RJ Lukas (2009) Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor aplha7 subunits with a C2 cytoplasmic loop yellow fluorescent protein insertion form functional receptors. Invited Paper. Acta Pharmacologia Sinica 30 (6): 828-841. PMID 19498423. Available online at http://www.nature.com/aps/journal/v30/n6/full/aps200978a.html.
JP Allen, JM Cordova, CC Jolley, TA Murray, JW Schneider, NW Woodbury, JC Williams, J Niklas, G Klihm, M Reus, W Lubitz (2009) EPR, ENDOR, and Special TRIPLE measurements of P(*+) in wild type and modified reaction centers from Rb. sphaeroides. Photosynthesis Res. 99 (1) 1-10. PMID 12461450. Available online at http://www.springerlink.com/content/n76v62n1lq94r543/fulltext.pdf.
CZ Song, TA Murray, R Kimura, M Wakui, K Ellsworth, KM Schroeder, S Marxer-Miller, RJ Lukas, and J Wu (2005) Role of alpha7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in tetanic stimulation-induced gamma oscillations in rat hippocampal slices. Neuropharmacology 48 (6): 869-880. PMID 15829257. Available online at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002839080500033X.
SR Lefler, ST Lille, G Huemer, R Tucker, T Murray, DC Mulligan (2002) Activation time course activator protein-1 and effect of proline dithiocarbamate during ischemia-reperfusion in rat skeletal muscle. Annals of Plastic Surgery 49 (6): 654-659. PMID: 18819016. Available online at http://journals.lww.com/annalsplasticsurgery/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2002&issue=12000&article=00016&type=abstract.
Refereed Conference Papers
Teresa A Murray (2007) Model of long-range transmission of gamma oscillation. Proceedings of the IEEE-EMBS 3rd International Conference on Neural Engineering. Sep 2007: 650-653. Available online at http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=4227362.
Presentations
Conference and Seminar Presentations
TA Murray and MJ Levene. Singlet GRIN lens for deep brain in vivo multiphoton microscopy. Poster presentation. Oct 15, 2012. Proc. Neuroscience 2012, Society for Neuroscience.
TA Murray and MJ Levene. Gradient index (GRIN) lens system for high-resolution in vivo neural imaging. Poster presentation. Functional Imaging for Regenerative Medicine Workshop, May 31- June 1, 2012. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD.
TA Murray, D Bertrand, RL Papke, AA George, R Pantoja, R Srinivasan, Q Liu, J Wu, P Whiteaker, HA Lester, RJ Lukas. Alpha7beta2 nAChRs assemble and function, but can be activated only via their alpha7-alpha7 interfaces. Poster presentation Nov 16, 2011. Proc. Neuroscience 2011, Society for Neuroscience.
TA Murray and MJ Levene. Micro-Optic Lenses for In Vivo Mouse Brain Imaging: A Short, High-NA, Versatile Alternative. Oral presentation Oct 2011. Proc. 2011 Annual Fall Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society.
TA Murray. Optical in vivo brain imaging in mice using GRIN lenses. Neurobiology Postdoc Network Seminar Presentation Feb. 16, 2011. Yale University, New Haven, CT.
TA Murray. Development of Gradient Index (GRIN) Lens Systems for In Vivo Imaging. [Interdisciplinary] Optics Group Seminar Presentation Jan. 28, 2011. Yale University, New Haven, CT.
TA Murray, Q Liu, R Pantoja, J Maxwell, J Wu, H Lester and RJ Lukas. Coassembly of fluorescently-tagged alpha7 and beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits in mammalian cell line detected by FRET. Poster presentation October 18, 2009. Proc. Neuroscience 2008, Society for Neuroscience.
Teresa A Murray, Neal W Woodbury and Ronald J Lukas. Fluorescent alpha7-nAChR subunits for cell-based high-throughput screening. Poster presentation Nov 18, 2008. Proc. Neuroscience 2008, Society for Neuroscience.
Teresa A Murray, Qiang Liu, Neal W Woodbury and Ronald J Lukas. Cell-based screening by fusion of fluorescent proteins to transmembrane receptors. Poster presentation Oct 3, 2008. Proc. 2008 Annual Fall Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society.
Teresa A Murray, Neal W Woodbury and Ronald J Lukas. Fluorescent nicotinic receptor subunits to facilitate isolation of high affinity, small molecule probes for native receptors. Poster presentation Nov 4, 2007. Proc. Neuroscience 2007, Society for Neuroscience.
Teresa A Murray, Qiangbin Wang, Neal W Woodbury and Hao Yan. Oligonucleotide-quantum dot conjugate: a small optical probe with high quantum yield. Poster presentation Sept. 27, 2007. Proc. of the 2007 Annual Fall Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society.
Jerry C. Collins, Teresa A. Murray, Brent Satterfield, Celeste Null, and Herbert F. Voigt. Evolution of an AEMB-Led Ethics Session for the BMES Fall Meeting. Oct. 13, 2006. Proc. 2006 Annual Fall Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society.
Teresa A Murray and Jie Wu. Modular minimal model of long-range transmission of gamma oscillation. Poster presentation Nov. 15, 2005. Proc. Neuroscience 2005, Society for Neuroscience.
Teresa Murray, Chuanzhe Song, Riochi Kimura, Jie Wu. Alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors may modulate gamma oscillation in rat hippocampus. Invited poster presentation IGERT Project Meeting, Washington DC, May 18-20, 2005.
Teresa Murray, Christine Pauken, Jiping He, Ron Lukas, Neal Woodbury. Tracking alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in models of learning and memory. Invited poster presentation IGERT Project Meeting, Washington DC, May 18-20, 2005.
TA Murray, CZ Song, R Kimura, M Wakui, Jie Wu. Pharmacological ‘Knockout’ of Alpha-7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Diminishes Tetanically Stimulation-Induced Gamma Oscillations in Rat Hippocampus. Slide presentation October 24, 2004. Proc. Neuroscience 2004, Society for Neuroscience.
Teresa A. Murray, Mike Song, Ryochi Kimura, Jie Wu. Alpha-7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Provide More Clues to Neural Synchrony, Learning and Epilepsy. Slide presentation Oct. 14, 2004. Proc. 2004 Annual Fall Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society.
R Kimura, C Wu, C Song, T Murray, M Wakui, K Ellsworth and J Wu. Impact of rotenone in synaptic transmission, plasticity and neuronal synchronization of rat hippocampal slices. Poster October 2004. Proc. Neuroscience 2004, Society for Neuroscience.
TA Murray, P Stice, B Olson, RS Clement, J He, SP Massia, CM Brophy, and A Panitch. Dextran Coating on Microelectrode Arrays and Subdural Injection of Peptide Reduces Gliosis In Vivo. Poster presentation Oct. 2003. Proc. 2003 Annual Fall Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society.
TA Murray, S Bellinger, P Stice, B Olson, RS Clement, J He, SP Massia, CM Brophy, and A Panitch. Dextran Coating on Microelectrode Arrays and Subdural Injection of Biomimetic Peptide to Reduce Gliosis In Vivo. Slide presentation Sept. 4, 2003. REAS ‘03. Arizona State University.
RA Backhaus, TA Murray and S Shekhar. Biotechnical and medicinal applications of allene oxide synthase, a new enzyme antioxidant discovered in guayule rubber particles. Sept. 11-13, 2000. RAB presented. BioFuture. Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Updated Nov. 12, 2012