Daniel T. Organisciak, Ph.D. Professor 203 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:

Our research involves the effects of environmental light and aging on retinal membranes and the effects of circadian rhythms on retinal degeneration. Our long-term goal is to understand the mechanism of intense light mediated destruction of visual cells and the role that antioxidants play in preventing or reducing cell death. The laboratory is actively involved in membrane isolation and characterization, 2-D gel electrophoresis coupled with mass spectroscopy and antibody-based detection of proteins, gene expression by gene chip and PCR technology and determinations of apoptotic cell death in normal and transgenic animals expressing rhodopsin mutations.

Selected References:

D.T. Organisciak, R.M. Darrow, L. Barsalou, R.K. Kutty and B. Wiggert. Light Damage Susceptibility in Transgenic Rats Having Rhodopsin Mutations. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 44:486-492 (2003).

D.T. Organisciak, R.M. Darrow and L.S. Barsalou. Light-Induced Retinal Degeneration. In Ocular Neuroprotection. Ed. L.A. Levin, A. DiPolo. Marcel Dekker, New York, p. 85-107 (2003).

H. Sakaguchi, M. Miyagi, R.M. Darrow, J.S. Crabb, J.G. Hollyfield, D.T. Organisciak and J.W. Crabb. Intense Light Exposure Changes the Crystallin Content in Retina. Experimental Eye Research. 76:131-133 (2003).

Z. Ablonczy, R.M. Darrow, D.R. Knapp, D.T. Organisciak, R.K. Crouch. Rhodopsin Phosphorylation in Rats Exposed to Intense Light. Photochem. Photobiol. 81:541-547 (2005).

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).