Daniel T. Organisciak, Ph.D.

Professor
Director, Petticrew Research Laboratory

163 Biological Sciences
(937) 775-2546
E-mail Dr. Organisciak

Ph.D.: 1972, State University of New York at Buffalo, Biochemistry (J.D. Klingman)
Postdoctoral: State University of New York at Buffalo, Physiology (W.K. Noell)

Research Interests:

The Petticrew Research Laboratory is focused on vision loss arising from retinal photoreceptor cell degeneration and how long term light environment and genetics can impact that process. The protective effects of antioxidants and circadian rhythms in preventing retinal damage from intense light are used to model mechanisms underlying cell death. Our work employs gel electrophoresis coupled with mass spectral analysis of retinal proteins, gene chip and PCR technology, as well as traditional laboratory techniques. Understanding molecular mechanisms of photoreceptor cell damage and loss in various animal models can provide valuable insights into the effects of light in clinical disorders and may form the basis of future therapies to prevent or delay visual cell loss.

Selected References:

M. Sun, S.C. Finnemann, M. Febbraio, L. Shan, S.P. Annangudi, E.A. Podrez, R. Darrow, D.T. Organisciak, R.G. Salomon, R.L. Silverstein, S.L. Hazen. Light-induced oxidation of photoreceptor outer segment phospholipids generates ligands for CD36-mediated phagocytosis by retinal pigment epithelium: A Potential mechanism for modulating outer segment phagocytosis under oxidant stress conditions. J. Biol. Chem. 281:4222-4230. (2006)

D.T. Organisciak, R. Darrow, Xiaorong Gu, L. Barsalou, J. Crabb. Genetic, Age and Light Mediated Effects on Crystallin Protein Expression in the Retina. Photochem. Photobiol. 82:1088-1096 (2006)

R.E. Marc, B.W. Jones, C.B. Watt, F.Vazquez-Chona, D.K. Vaughan, D.T. Organisciak. Extreme Retinal Remodeling Triggered by Light Damage: Implications for Age Related Macular Degeneration. Molecular Vision 14:782-806 (2008).

D.T. Organisciak and D.K. Vaughan. Retinal Light Damage: Mechanisms and Protection. Progress in Retinal and Eye Research 29:113-134 (2010)

D. Hajkova, Y. Imanishi, V. Palamalai, K.C. Sekhar Rao, C. Yuan, Q. Sheng, H. Tang, R. Zeng, R.M. Darrow, D.T. Organisciak, M. Miyagi. Proteomic Changes in the Photoreceptor Outer Segment Upon Intense Light Exposure. J. Proteome Research 9: 1173-1181 (2010)

D. Organisciak, R. Darrow, L. Barsalou, C. Rapp, B. McDonald, P. Wong. Light Induced and Circadian Effects on Retinal Photoreceptor Cell Crystallins. Photochemistry & Photobiology 87: 151-159 (2011)

D. Organisciak, P. Wong, C. Rapp, R. Darrow, A. Ziesel, R. Rangarajan, J. Lang. Light Induced Retinal Degeneration is Prevented by Zinc, a Component in the AREDS Formulation. Photochemistry & Photobiology. DOI: 1111/j.1751-1097.2012.01134.x (In press)