Dr. Ann Billetz

email: a.billetz@mcla.edu
office hours: vary by semester, please email for an appointment
Venable Hall, 309 B/C
413-662-5345

Walsh College
B.S., 1992
Major: Biology

Cleveland State University
M.S., 1994
Major: Biology

Cleveland State University
Ph.D., 1998
Major: Regulatory Biology

Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Post-Doctoral Fellowship
1998 – 2002 Lerner Research Institute

Courses at MCLA:
Foundations of Biology - Introductory course for majors, and part of the core curriculum. Syllabus

Cell Biology - One of two senior level required biology courses, average class size: 10 students. Syllabus

Biochemistry - A senior level elective, often a pre-requisite for graduate school, average class size: 6 students. Syllabus

Human Anatomy - A requirement for Health Science concentrations, average class size: 15 students. Syllabus

Microbiology - A requirement for Health Science concentrations, class focuses on prokaryotes (bacteria). Average class size: 6 students. Syllabus

Parasitology - An upper level elective, focusing on parasites. Average class size: 6 students. Syllabus

Human Biology - A lower level component of the core curriculum. Average class size: 20 students. Syllabus

Coordinator of the Medical Technology, Cytotechnology, Pre-Physical Therapy and Pre-Occupational Therapy programs.

College Community

I am an honorary member and Faculty Representative of the First Year Honor Society, Alpha Lambda Delta and serve as a committee member on the Institutional Review Board, Curriculum Committee, and Student Research/Creative Project Committee. I also serve as the Advisor for the Biology Club.

Research

I have two ongoing research projects. The first is Enology. Our lab employs a variety of methods in the identification of yeast speciation including morphological characteristics, fermentation studies, and molecular techniques (Polymerase Chain Reaction and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms). The goals are to identify yeast naturally occurring at regional wineries, to determine if they vary from region to region, and to give the wineries information that can be utilized to enhance flavor and production.

The second involves the protozoan parasites Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus. These parasites cause trichomoniasis in human and cattle, respectively. Human trichomoniasis is the most prevalent nonviral sexually transmitted disease in the world. Our lab employs biochemical and molecular techniques to study the metabolic pathways of these organisms to gave knowledge which may be applied to chemotherapy.

Student researchers have presented their work at the MCLA Undergraduate Research Conference and at regional American Society of Microbiology conferences.

Publications

Articles

Wildey GM, Billetz AC, Matyas JR, Adams ME, McDevitt CA (2001) Absolute concentrations of mRNA for type I and VI collagen in the canine meniscus in normal and ACL-deficient knee joints obtained by RNase protection assay. Journal of Orthopaedic Research 19:650-658

Biagini GA, Yarlett N, Ball GE, Billetz AC, Lindmark DG, Martinex MP, Lloyd D, Edwards MR (2002) Bacterial-like energy metabolism in the amitochondriate protozoan Hexamita inflata. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology 128:11-19

Abstracts

Davis H, Deeter H, Sherwood B, Pivarski K, Billetz AC (2005) Molecular and Biochemical Analysis of Native Yeast Populations from Lincoln and Adams, Massachusetts. American Society of Microbiology Connecticut Valley Regional Meeting, New Haven, CT.

Kim JH, Billetz AC, Iannotti J, McDevitt C (2002) Isolation of a new cell-pericellular matrix structure from the biceps tendon: longitudinal chains of type VI collagen surround linear arrays of cells. Trans Orthop Res Soc., New Orleans, LA.

McDevitt CA, Li H-S, Prajapate RT, Zaramo C, Cutrone R, Billetz AC (2000) The fibrochondron: The cell-pericellular matrix complex of fibrocartilage. Federation of the European Connective Tissue Societies, Abstract #B8, Patras, Greece.

Billetz AC, Lindmark DG, Yarlett N (1997) Detection of the arginine dihydrolase Pathway and other selected enzyme activities in Hexamita inflata. Protozoology, Abstract #21, Kingston, RI.

Billetz AC, Lindmark DG (1996) Purification and characterization of ornithine carbamyltransferase from Tritrichomonas foetus. Protozoology, Abstract #33, Tucson, AZ.