Ayelen Bulloj
**** ********* **. ** # ***, Washington, DC 20009 202-***-**** ac0e60@r.postjobfree.com
www.linkedin.com/in/ayelen-bulloj-61a88a4
Professional Overview
Seasoned biologist with 16 years in laboratory research, specializing in molecular and cellular biology with extensive knowledge of retinal and neurodegenerative diseases. Conversant bilingual English/Spanish.
Experience
Postdoctoral Fellow 2009-present
Fordham University Bronx, NY, USA
Conduct research in molecular mechanisms underlying age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with special emphasis in photoreceptor phagocytosis by retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE)
Identified and characterized novel proteins and signaling pathways that affect phagocytosis by RPE cells in primary cell culture and different animal models
Development and maintenance of primary and commercial retinal pigment epithelial cells (cell culture)
Experimental design and execution of electroretinogram for mice and rats
Expertise in preparation and sectioning of embedded tissues in paraffin and OCT (microtomy, cryotomy)
Design experimental planning, execution and trouble-shooting in ELISA, western blotting, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunocytochemistry (ICC).
Planning and maintenance of transgenic mouse and rat colonies, including genotypic analysis by PCR
Published two (2) scientific publications and one (1) chapter in book related to neurodegenerative eye diseases
Supervised undergraduate students and technicians in designing, performing and trouble-shooting experiments
Ph.D. Candidate 2003-2009 Fundacion Instituto Leloir
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Focused in membrane association, trafficking and secretion of Insulin Degrading Enzyme, a key protease involved in the metabolism of insulin and amyloid ß in Alzheimer`s disease
Isolated and purified exosomes and lipid rafts using discontinued sucrose gradients
Prepared primary cell culture of neurons and astrocytes. Maintenance of commercial mammalian cell lines.
Performed gene cloning, PCR/RT-PCR/qPCR, gel electrophoresis, protein expression and purification (E.coli and mammalian cells), microbiological techniques, western blotting, immunoprecipitation, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy; Handled radioactive material for radiolabeling
Published four (4) scientific reports in international journals and 1 chapter in textbook related to Alzheimer disease; presented research work in six (6) international scientific meetings
Internship 2004-2005
Center for Neuroscience and Aging, The Burnham Institute San Diego, CA, USA
Undergraduate Student 2000-2003
Fundacion Instituto Leloir Buenos Aires, Argentina
Culture of mammalian cell lines (human, rat, mouse)
Preparation of media and reagents for cell culture. Preparation of solutions and laboratory material
Immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy
Co-author in poster presentation at 4 international scientific meetings
Education
Ph.D in Biological Chemistry 2009
University of Buenos Aires; School of Natural and Exact Sciences Buenos Aires, Argentina
Master of Science: Molecular Biology and Biotechnology 2003
University of Buenos Aires; School of Natural and Exact Sciences Buenos Aires, Argentina
Related coursework:
Flow Cytometry: Principles and Methods
2017
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Bethesda, MD, USA
Genotoxicity workshop. Development and Risk assessment
2017
Bioreliance
Rockville, MD, USA
Handling of laboratory animals
2008
University of Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, Argentina
Experimental Design and Determination of Sample Size in work with laboratory animals
2008
University of Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, Argentina
EMBO Practical Course: "Advances in Technologies for High Resolution in Vivo Microscopy”
2006 Buenos Aires, Argentina
Public Speaking and Lecture Methods
2003
University of Buenos Aires. Centro Cultural Ricardo Rojas, Argentina
Publications
Semaphorin4D-PlexinB1 Signaling Attenuates Photoreceptor Outer Segment Phagocytosis by Reducing Rac1 Activity of RPE Cells
Mol Neurobiol. 2017 Manuscript Accepted.
PI 3-kinase independent role for AKT in F-actin regulation during outer segment phagocytosis by RPE cells
Exp Eye Res. 2013 Aug;113:9-18
Insulin-degrading enzyme sorting in exosomes: a secretory pathway for a key brain amyloid-beta degrading protease
J Alzheimers Dis. 2010 Jan;19(1):79-95.
Detergent resistant membrane-associated IDE in brain tissue and cultured cells: Relevance to Abeta and insulin degradation
Mol Neurodegener. 2008 Dec 31;3:22.
Tumor suppressor PTEN affects tau phosphorylation: deficiency in the phosphatase activity of PTEN increases aggregation of an FTDP-17 mutant Tau
Mol Neurodegener. 2006 Jul 31;1:7
Tumor Suppressor PTEN Affects Tau Phosphorylation, Aggregation and Binding to Microtubules
FASEB J. 2006 Jun;20(8):1272-4
Multiple Display of a Protein Domain on a Bacterial Polymeric Scaffold
Proteins. 2005 Dec 1;61(4):1089-100
Amyloid Beta Degradation: a Challenging Task for Brain Peptidases
Subcell Biochem. 2005;38:129-45. Review
Contributing Author, Textbooks
Vision and Grapes
Grapes and Health 2015 Dec; pp.213-235
Amyloid -degradation: A challenging task for brain peptidases
In Alzheimer’s disease: Cellular and Molecular Aspects of Amyloid by J.Robin Harris and Falk Fahrenhols. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers. 2004
Skills
RT-PCR/PCR/qPCR
DNA/RNA purification/ isolation
Primer design
Protein expression and purification (E.coli and mammalian)
Microbiological techniques
Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) techniques
Primary cell culture preparation
Western blotting
ELISA
Continuous and discontinuous gradients
Immunofluorescence assays (IHC, ICC)
Preparation and Sectioning of embedded tissues in paraffin and OCT
Confocal microscopy
Flow cytometry
Electroretinography (ERG)
Animal handling
Solid oral and written communication skills
Proficient in Excel, PowerPoint, Word applications, Graphpad Prism and Photoshop
Conversant bilingual English/Spanish