Selected Publications

TAXONOMY, PHYLOGENY, AND BIOCHEMICAL FUNCTION OF VENOMOUS MARINE SNAILS

Verdes, A., Simpson, D., Holford, M. "Are fireworms venomous? Evidence for the convergent evolution of toxin homologs in three species of fireworms (Annelida, Amphinomidae)." Genome Biology and Evolution. 23 December 2017. evx279.
Leffler, A. E., Kuryatov, A., Zebroski, H. A., Powell S. R., Filipenko P, Hussein A. K., Gorson, J., Heizmann, A., Lyskov, S., Tsien, R., Poget, S. F., Nicke, A., Lindstrom, J., Rudy, B., Bonneau, R., Holford, M. "Discovery of peptide ligands through docking and virtual screening at nicotinic acetylcholine receptor homology models." PNAS 10.1073/pnas.1703952114. 5 September, 2017.
Verdes, A., Anand, P., Gorson, J., Jannetti, S., Kelly, P., Leffler, A., Simpson, D., Ramrattan, G., Holford, M. "From Mollusks to Medicine: A Venomics Approach for the Discovery and Characterization of Therapeutics from Terebridae Peptide Toxins." Toxins 2016, 8, 117.
Gorson J, Holford M. "Small Packages, Big Returns: Uncovering the Venom Diversity of Small Invertebrate Conoidean Snails." Integrative and Comparative Biology (2016) 56 (5): 962-972.
Moon J, Gorson J, Wright M, Yee L, Khawaja S, Shin Hye, Karma Y, Musunri R, Yun M, Holford M. "Characterization and Recombinant Expression of Terebrid Venom Peptide from Terebra Guttata." Toxins , 2016 8.3:63.
Fry B, Koludarov I, Jackson T, Holford M, Terrat Y, Casewell N, Unheim E, Vetter I, Ali Sm Low D, Sunagar K. "Seeing the Woods for the Trees: Understanding Venom Evolution as a Guide for Biodiversity." Royal Society of Chemistry, 2015 1-36.
Kelly P, Anand P, Uvaydov A, Chakravartula S, Sherpa C, Pires E, O’Neil A, Douglas T, Holford M. "Developing a Dissociative Nanocontainer for Peptide Drug Delivery." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2015 12:10.
Anand P, O’Neil A, Lin E, Douglas T, Holford M. "Tailored delivery of Analgesic Ziconotide Across a Blood Brain Model Using Nano Containers." Nature Scientific Reports, 2015 5:12497.
Gorson J, Ramrattan G, Verdes A, Wright ME, Kantor Y, Srinivasan R, Musunuri R, Packer D, Albano G, Qiu WG, Holford M. "Molecular Diversity and Gene Evolution of the Venom Arsenal of Terebridae Predatory Marine Snails." Gen. Biol. Evol, 2015 7(6):1761-1778. doi: 10.1093/gbe/evv10.
Anand P, Grigoryan A, Bhuiyan MH, Ueberheide B, Russell V, Quinonez, J, Moy, P, Chait, B, Poget, S, Holford, M. "Sample Limited Characterization of a Novel Disulfide-Rich Venom Peptide Toxin from Terebrid Marine Snail Terebra Variegata." PLoS ONE, 2014 9(4): e94122. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094122.
Puillandre N, Modica MV, Zhang Y, Sirovich L, Boisselier MC, Cruad C, Holford M, Samadi S. "Large-scale Species Delimitation Method for Hyperdiverse Groups." Molecular Ecology, 2012 Jun 21(11): 2671-2691. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2012.05559.x
Castelin M, Puillandre N, Kantor YI, Modica MV, Terryn Y, Cruaud C, Bouchet P, Holford M. "Macroevolution of Venom Apparatus in Auger Snails (Gastropoda; Conoidea; Terebridae)." Molecular Phylogeneticc and Evolution, 2012 Jul 64(1): 21-44.
Puillandre N, and Holford M, "The Terebridae and Teretoxins: Combining Phylogeny and Anatomy for the Concerted Discovery of Bioactive Compounds." Chemical Biology, 2010 10:7.
Modica MV, and Holford M. "The Neogastropoda: Evolutionary Innovations of Predatory Marine Snails with Remarkable Pharmacological Potential." in P. Pontarotti (ed), Evolutionary Biology – Concepts, Molecular and Morphological Evolution, 2010 doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-12340-5_15
Holford M, Auer S, Laqua M, Ibanez-Tallon I. "Manipulating Neuronal Circuits with Endogenous and Recombinant Cell-surface Tethered Modulators." Frontiers in Neuroscience. 2009 2:1-10. doi: 10.3389/neuro.02.021.2009
Holford M, Puillande N, Modica MV, Watkins M, Collins R, Bermingham E, Olivera BM. "Correlating Molecular Phylogeny with Venom Apparatus Occurence in Panamic Auger Snails (Terebridae)." PLoS ONE. 2009 4(11): e7667
Holford M, Puillandre N, Terryn Y, Cruaud C, Olivera BM, Bouchet P. "Evolution of the Toxoglossa Venom Apparatus as Inferred by Molecular Phylogeny of the Terebridae." Molecular Biology and Evolution, 2009 26(1): 15-25. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msn211
Holford M, Zhang M, Catlin P, Azam L, Hanuman K, Green G, Watkins BR, Oqnby M, Yoshikami JP, Bulaj G, Oluvera BM. "Prunning Nature: Biodiversity-Delivered Discovery of Novel Sodium Channel-Blocking Conotoxin from Conus bullatus." Toxicon 2009 53:90-98
Kholer F, Holford M, Van Tuo D, Thanh HH. "Exploring a Largely Unknown Fauna: On the Diversity of Pachychilid Freshwater Gastropods in Vietnam (Caenogastropoda: Cerithioidea)." Molluscan Research, 2009 29(3): 121-146

PIGMENTATION IN NATURE

Dainson M., Mark M., Hossain M., Yoo B., Holford M., McNeil, S. E., Riehl C., Hauber M. E. "How to Make a Mimic? Brood Parasitic Striped Cuckoo Eggs Match Host Shell Color but Not Pigment Concentrations" Journal of Chemical Ecology, 29 June 2018.
Hauber M. E., Dainson, M., Baldassarre, D. T., Hossain, M., Holford, M., Riehl, C. "The perceptual and chemical basis of egg discrimination in communally nesting Greater Anis (Crotophaga major)." Journal of Avian Biology, 2018. 10.1111/jav.01776
Verdes A, Cho W, Hossain M, Brennan PLR, Hanley D, Grim T, Hauber ME, Holford M. "Nature’s Palette: Characterization of Shared PIgments in Colorful Avian and Mollusk Shells." Plos ONE, 2015. 10:1371.
Lippens D, Branislav Igic, D’Alba L, Hanley D, Verdes A, Holford M, Waterhouse G, Grim T, Hauber M, Shawkey M. "The Cuticle Modulates Ultraviolet Reflectance of Avian Eggshells." Biology Open 2015, bio. 012211
Igic B, Nunez V, Voss HU, Croston R, Aidala Z, López AV, Van Tatenhove A, Holford M, Shawkey MD, Hauber ME. "Using 3D printed eggs to examine the egg-rejection behaviour of wild birds." PeerJ. 2015, 3 e965. (2015) DOI: 10.7717/peerj.965

ADVANCING INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION AND STEM INITIATIVES

Holford M and Nichols R. "The Challenge of Building Science Diplomacy Capabilities for Early Career Academic Investigators." AAAS Science and Diplomacy, Jan 29, 2018
Holford M & Portnoy, L. "Children should be playing more games in the classroom. Here’s why." World Economic Forum Agenda, 2017, May 11.
Holford M, Gadjanski I, Zaringhalam M. "Too hot, too cold. What porridge can tell us about women in science." World Economic Forum Agenda, 2017, Feb 22
Fischer, M and Holford M, "Jobs of the Future: What will a science career look like in 2030?" NatureJobs 2016, Jan. 15
Holford M & Nichols R, “A Tale of Two States,” Science 2015 349:6247
Holford M and Gadjanski, I, "Bench to Business: How women in STEM academia can use corporate models to their favour", NatureBlog 2014, Nov. 10
Holford M, “Made-to-Measure Postdocs,” Nature 2006 443:1028
Holford M, “Taking Chemistry Global – International Opportunities for Chemists,” ACS Graduate Education Newsletter, Fall 2005 4(2):7
Slimowitz J & Holford M, “International Activities and the US National Science Foundation,” Bridges 2005 Vol. 6

DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF EXPRESSED PROTEIN LIGATION

Minakhin L, Camarero JA, Holford M, Parker C, Muir TW, Severinov K. "Mapping the Molecular Interface between the Sigma (70) Subunit of E. coli RNA Polymerase and T4 AsiA." J Mol Bi 2001 MAR 2:304(4):631-642.
Huse M, Holford M, Kuriyan J, Muir TW. "Semisynthesis of Hyperphosphorylated Type I TGF Beta Receptor: Addressing the Mechanism of Kinase Activation." J Am. Chem. Soc 2000 AUG 30:122(34):8337-8338.
Ayers B, Blaschke UK, Camarero JA, Cotton GJ, Holford M, Muir TW. "Introduction of Unnatural Amino Acids into Proteins Using Expressed Protein Ligation." Biopolymers 1999:51(5):343-354.
Holford M, Muir TW. "Adding ‘Splice’ to Protein Engineering." Structure 1998 AUG:6(8):951-956