Experience:

Graduate Research Assistant & Post-doctoral Research Assistant in Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin.  1995-1998

• Cloned and characterized the gene WdCDC42-1, a RHO/CDC42 homologue from zoopathogenic fungus Wangiella (Exophiala) dermatitidis, and demonstrated its effects on cell polarity and mophogenic transitions

• Established a color selectable, integrative transformation system for gene expression studies in W. dermatitidis.

• Developed a PCR-based calorimetric assay for quantitative analysis of specific chitin synthase gene signals in fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus

Visiting Research Fellow in Department of Carcinogenesis, University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center.  1991 - 1994.

• Isolated and characterized two isoforms of UvrC endonucleases that are involved in nucleotide excision repair.

• Improved protein purification in preparative scale for three E. coli enzymes (i.e. UvrA, UvrB, and UvrC) and provided these non-commercialized enzymes for research usage.

• Assisted the investigation of DNA sequence preference of chemical adduct formation and repair in the mouse H-ras gene with UvrABC nucleases.

Lecturer in Biochemistry, Zhejiang Agricultural University.  1985-1991.

• Trained students by teaching Biochemistry and Biochemistry Laboratory.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin. GPA: 3.9. Graduation date: December 19, 1998

• M.S. in Animal Physiology & Biochemistry, Zhejiang Agricultural University, Hangzhou, China.  1985.

• B.S. in Animal Sciences, Zhejiang Agricultural University, Hangzhou, China.  1982.

Honors and membership:

• Hal H. Ramsey III Memorial Scholarship by Department of Microbiology, THe University of Texas at Austin, 1998

• Barksdale-Raper Award by Mycological Society of America, 1997.

• Member, American Society for Microbiology, Mycological Society of America, and American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Recent Publications:

• Ye, X., B. Feng, and P.J. Szaniszlo.   1999.  A color-selectable and site-specific integrative transformation system for gene expression studies in the dematiaceous fungus Wangiella (Exophiala) dermatitidis.  Curr Genet 36:241-247.

• Ye, X. and P.J. Szaniszlo.  1999.  A CDC42 homologue is nonessential for viability, but affects cellular morphogenesis in the zoopathogenic fungus Wangiella (Exophiala) dermatitidis.  (submitted).

• Ye, X. and P.J. Szaniszlo.  1997.   Gene disruption and mutational analysis of the WdCDC42 gene in the polymorphic fungus Wangiella dermatitidis (Abstract).  THe 61st annual meeting of MSA, Montreal, Canada.

• Ye, X., W.-L. Y. Lin, T. Levens, and P.J. Szaniszlo.  1997.  Identification and comparison of chitin synthase conserved sequences in Aspergillus parasiticus and A. flavus (Abstract).  The 61st annual meeting of MSA, Montreal, Canada.

• Chen, J. X., A. Pao, Y. Zheng, X. Ye, A. S. Kisleyou, R. Morris, T. J. Slaga, R. G. Harvey, and M.-s. Tang.  1996.  Sequence preference of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-syn-diol epoxide-DNA binding in the mouse H-ras gene detected by UvrABC nucleases.  Biochemistry 35, 9594-9602.