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ELISE R. MORTON Curriculum Vitae

Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Email: emorton@umn.edu
Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development Phone: (304) 282-9490
University of Minnesota Web: ermorton.com
Cargill 205, 1500 Gortner Ave, St. Paul, MN 55108

Education
INDIANA UNIVERSITY Ph.D., Biology 2006-2013
Major: Microbiology, Minor: Genetics
Thesis: Multispecies plasmid interactions, genetic plasticity, and conjugation regulation in Agrobacterium
tumefaciens
GPA: 3.92

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY B.S., Animal and Veterinary Science 1997-2002
Minors: Microbiology and Psychology
GPA: 3.75

Research and Professional Experience
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA Post-doctoral Research Associate 2014-present
Advisor: Ran Blekhman
Investigating the relationship between humans and their microbiomes, identifying signatures
of selection in host-associated microbial communities in relation to host genetic and
environmental factors.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY Post-doctoral Research Associate 2013
Advisor: James Bever
Developed an approach for Illumina-based sequence analysis of fungal communities,
including arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, to facilitate the comprehensive characterization of
plant-soil microbial feedbacks.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY Doctoral Research 2006-2013
Advisors: Clay Fuqua and James Bever
Studied the ecology and population dynamics of co-occurring bacterial plasmids

MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE Research Coordinator 2002-2005
Advisor: John Blaho
Lab manager
Examined the mechanism and effects of apoptosis prevention by Herpes Simplex Virus-1

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY Research Assistant 2001-2002
Advisor: Alan Sexstone
Investigated the prevalence and metabolic contribution of ultramicrobacteria to microbial soil
community function

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY Research Assistant 2000
Advisor: Brett Kenney
Investigated mode of Campylobacter jejuni colonization in domestic turkeys

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ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER Veterinary Technician 1999
Morgantown, WV
Provided basic care for animals at the facility
Administered preliminary physical examinations and vaccinations
Assisted with all medical procedures

Teaching Experience
INDIANA UNIVERSITY Assistant Instructor 2009-2010
Introductory Microbiology (M255)
Primary laboratory instructor providing introductory lectures and guiding students through
laboratory experiments

INDIANA UNIVERSITY Assistant Instructor 2009-2010
Introductory Biology Laboratory Course (L113)
Independently created weekly one-hour lectures
Taught the laboratory component of the class
Independently responsible for all student interactions including generating and grading all
assignments.
Designed new lab for course that was subsequently incorporated into the current laboratory
manual (Spring 2014)

ANUBAN WAT NONG KHUN CHAT English Teacher 2005-2006
Nong Chang, Thailand
Generated syllabus and teaching program for grades 1-6
Implemented semester-long school-wide English-based art project

SERENDIB ENGLISH CAMPS English Camp Instructor Summer 2005
Thailand (country-wide)
Led Thai children in English-learning based singing, games, and art projects

Trainee Mentoring
Rachel Warren, Indiana University Undergraduate Student, 2013
Brent Nowinski, Indiana University Undergraduate Student, 2012-2013
Rachel Hissong, Indiana University Undergraduate Student, 2012-2013
Preet Matharu, Indiana University Undergraduate Student, 2012-2013
Kyle Tse, Indiana University Undergraduate Student, 2012
Juliet Thungu, Indiana University Undergraduate Student, 2011-2012
Ariona Anderson, Recipient of Eli-Lilly Scholarship for Minority Youth, 2011
Anthony Douglas, Recipient of Eli-Lilly Scholarship for Minority Youth, 2011
Karen McIlrath, Recipient of Eli-Lilly Scholarship for Minority Youth, 2011
Clairessa Brown, NIH IMSD (Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity) Program Participant, Indiana
University Undergraduate Student, 2010-2011

Awards
Floyd Plant & Fungal Summer Fellowship, Indiana University 2011-2012
Floyd Microbiology Summer Fellowship, Indiana University 2008-2010
National Society of Collegiate Scholars, West Virginia University 1999-2002
Gertrude B. Davis Scholarship for Outstanding Achievement, West Virginia University 1998-2002
Deans List, West Virginia University 1998-2002
Sigma Delta Alpha Member, West Virginia University 2001-2002
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Magna Cum laude, West Virginia University 2001

Organizations
Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis 2014
Minnesota Ornithologists Union 2014
American Bird Conservancy 2013-2014
Sassafrass Audubon Society 2010-2013

Volunteering and Outreach
Advocacy Advisory Committee, Audubon Minnesota 2014
Conservation Chair, Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis 2014
Science Day, Project School, Bloomington 2012-2013
Northern Saw-whet Owl Tagging 2010-2012
Brownie Math and Science Day, Girl Scouts of Central Indiana 2010-2012
Mentor for three high school students participating in the Lilly Scholars 2011
Program, Indiana University
Insect Education Workshop, Templeton Elementary School 2011
Bloomington, IN
Volunteer as wildlife caretaker at WildCare Inc. 2010-2011
Bloomington, IN
Leonard Springs Nature Day, Bloomington, IN 2009-2010
Founding Member of Green Team Biology at Indiana University 2009-2013
Increased interdepartmental recycling
Decreased organic waste through the development of new
composting system
Decreased energy usage by through departmental energy
awareness program and energy-saving competition
Farm Caretaker, Marble Hill Farm, Bloomington, IN 2011-2013
Student committee member for Graduate Recruitment Weekend, 2007-2008
Biology Department, Indiana University, IN

Publications
Peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts
Heckel, B., Tomlinson, A., Morton, E.R., Choi, J, and Fuqua, C.F. Agrobacterium tumefaciens ExoR
controls acid response genes and impacts exopolysaccharide synthesis, horizontal gene transfer
and virulence gene expression. Journal of Bacteriology. June, 2014.
Morton, E.R., Platt, T. G., Fuqua, C.F., and Bever, J.D. Non-additive costs and interactions alter the
competitive dynamics of co-occurring ecologically distinct plasmids. Proc. R. Soc. B., 281
(1779): 20132173, 2014.
Morton, E.R., Merritt, P.M. and Fuqua, C.F. Large Deletions in the pAtC58 Megaplasmid of
Agrobacterium tumefaciens Can Confer Reduced Carriage Cost and Increased Expression of
Virulence Genes. Genome Biology and Evolution, 5(7):1353-64, 2013.
Bever, J.D., Platt, T.G., and Morton, E.R. Microbial population and community dynamics on plant roots
and their feedbacks on plant communities. Annual Review of Microbiology. 2012.
Morton, ER and JA Blaho. Herpes Simplex Virus Blocks Fas-Mediated Apoptosis Independent of Viral
Activation of NF-kB in Human Epithelial HEp-2 Cells. Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research.
27(5): 365-376, 2007.
Goodkin ML, Morton ER, Blaho JA. Herpes Simplex Virus Infection and Apoptosis. International
Review of Immunology, 23:141-172, 2004.
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Book chapters
Morton, E. R. and C. Fuqua. Laboratory Maintenance of Agrobacterium. Current Protocols in
Microbiology. Chapter 1, Unit3D.1, 2012.
Morton, E. R. & Fuqua, C. Genetic Manipulation of Agrobacterium. Current Protocols in Microbiology
Chapter 3, Unit3D.2, 2012.
Morton, E. R. & Fuqua, C. Phenotypic Analyses of Agrobacterium. Current Protocols in Microbiology
Chapter 3, Unit3D.3, 2012.

Submitted articles
Morton, E.R. and Fuqua, C.F. Repression control series mediates constitutive conjugal transfer of
accessory plasmid pAtC58 in Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
Platt, T.G., Morton, E.R., Barton I. S., Bever, J.D., and Fuqua, C. Ecological dynamics and complex
interactions of Agrobacterium megaplasmids. Frontiers in Plant Science.

Research Talks and Presentations
Morton E.R., J.D. Bever, and C. Fuqua. 2013. Non-additive costs and interactions alter the
competitive dynamics of co-occurring ecologically distinct megaplasmids. Guest Lecture, West
Virginia University, Morgantown, WV (oral presentation).

Morton E.R., J.D. Bever, C. Fuqua, and TG Platt. 2012. Dual plasmid dynamics of the facultative
pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Ecology & Evolution of Infectious Disease PI Meeting,
Berkeley, CA (oral presentation).

Morton, E.R., J.D. Bever, and C. Fuqua. 2011. Dual plasmid dynamics and conjugation regulation in
Agrobacterium tumefaciens. 32
nd
Annual Crown Gall Conference, Middleton, WI (oral presentation).

Morton, E.R., T.G. Platt, J. Bever, S. Hall, and C. Fuqua. 2010. Ecological dynamics of facultative
bacterial pathogens: costs of virulence, competition and the horizontal transmission of mobile
virulence factors. Ecology & Evolution of Infectious Disease PI Meeting, Atlantic City, NJ (poster
presentation).

Morton, E.R. and C. Fuqua. 2009. Ecology and Interactions of the At and Ti plasmids of Agrobacterium
tumefaciens. Evolution Conference, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID (poster presentation)

Morton, E.R., P.M. Merritt, M.E. Hibbing, T. Danhorn, C. Blair, and C. Fuqua. 2008 Agrobacterium
tumefaciens utilizes a unipolar polysaccharide for adherence to surfaces. Indiana Branch
American Society for Microbiology Meeting, Muncie, IN (poster presentation).

Morton, E.R., P.M. Merritt, M.E. Hibbing, T. Danhorn, C. Blair, A. Tomlinson, and C. Fuqua. 2007.
Polar surface attachment and biofilm formation of Agrobacterium tumefaciens requires contact-
dependent extrusion of a unipolar polysaccharide. 28
th
Annual Crown Gall Conference, Tempe, AZ
(oral presentation).

Morton, E.R., M.L. Goodkin, and J.A. Blaho. 2004. Prevention of Apoptosis by HSV-1 mediated
activation of NF-kappaB. 12
th
symposium of virus-host interactions. New York Academy of
Sciences, New York, NY (poster presentation)