Faculty

Robert M. Tombes
Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Washington, Seattle (1986)
rmtombes@vcu.edu
www.people.vcu.edu/~rmtombes

Massey Cancer Center
Department of Biochemistry

Office room: 306
Office phone: (804) 827-0141

Lab room: 304
Lab phone: (804) 828-0564

Research interests:
Stem cells, cancer and cell growth control, neuronal differentiation, alternative mRNA splicing, intracellular targeting, signal transduction

Recent publications:

Robert M. Tombes, M. Omar Faison and Clint Turbeville. (2003). Organization and Evolution of Multifunctional Ca2+/CaM-dependent Protein Kinase (CaMK-II) Genes. Gene 322: 17-31.

Faison, M.O., Perozzi, E.F., Caran, N., Stewart, J.K. and Tombes, R.M.. (2002). Axonal Localization of _ Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in developing P19 Neurons. Inter. J. Developmental Neurosci. 20(8): 585-592.

Caran, N., Johnson, L.D., Jenkins, K.J. and Tombes, R.M. (2001). Cytosolic Targeting Domains of gamma and delta Calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinase II. J. Biol. Chem. 276(45): 42514-9.

Johnson, L.D., Willoughby, C.A., Burke, S.H., Paik, D.S., Jenkins, K.J. and Tombes, R.M.. (2000). Delta CaM Kinase II Isozyme-Specific Induction of Neurite Outgrowth in P19 Embryonal Carcinoma Cells. J. Neurochem. 75(6): 2380-91.

Tombes, R.M., Mikkelsen, R.B., Jarvis, W.D. and S. Grant. (1999). Down Regulation of _ CaMK-II in Human Tumor Cells. Bioch. et Biophys. Acta 1452(1): 1-11.

Graduate student projects include:

• Identification of CaMK-II Binding Proteins in Developing Neurons
• Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer analysis of CaMK-II Oligomers
• Integrin-mediated Ca2+ Signaling in Embryonic Fibroblasts
• Localization of Delta CaMK-II in developing brain.

Courses currently teaching:
Cell Biology (BIOL 218)
Participate in Biotechniques (BIOL 300)
Seminar coordinator (BIOL 690)
Developmental Biology (BIOL 691)
Molecular and Cell Biology (MIC/BIC 504)

Dr. Robert Tombes was a postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Wisconsin with G. Schatten and G. Borisy. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of Washington, Seattle (B.M. Shapiro) and his B.A. in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Virginia, where he worked with Robert H. Kretsinger, Alfred Gilman and Peter Holloway. Tombes got his start in the laboratory of Dr. George V. Vahouny at George Washington University, Washington D.C.