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Paul Blount, PhD
Molecular Microbiology
Contact Information
UT Southwestern Medical Center
5323 Harry Hines Boulevard
Dallas, Texas 75390
Office Phone: 214-645-6014
Office Fax: 214-645-6019
Biography
Dr. Blount's research is aimed at determining molecular, biochemical, and biophysical mechanisms underlying an organisms’ ability to detect mechanical forces. Such mechanosensation is necessary not only in our sense of touch, but in the ear for hearing and balance, as well as cardiovascular regulation. Because of its tractability and simplicity, he has primarily studied mechanosensitive channels in bacteria.
Dr. Blount’s laboratory utilizes a multidisciplinary approach that includes microbial genetics, biochemical, biophysical and electrophysiological approaches to explore the general functional principles of biological mechanosensors.
His work has also recently expanded to include investigating the potential use of bacterial mechanosensors as potential drug targets, developing them into ‘triggered nanovalves’ that could be used in drug-release devices or “smart” contrasts for MRI, and the biophysical characterization of candidate mammalian mechanosensitive channels.
Education
| Graduate School | Washington University (1990) |
| Undergraduate | University of California-San Diego (1983) |
Research Interests
Publications
Yang LM, Blount P, The FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 2011 Jan; 25 (1):428-34
Iscla I, Wray R, Blount P, The FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 2011 Feb; 25 (2):694-702
Dorwart MR, Wray R, Brautigam CA, Jiang Y, Blount P, PLoS biology, 2010 ; 8 (12):e1000555
Li Y, Wray R, Eaton C, Blount P, The FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 2009 Jul; 23 (7):2197-204
Iscla I, Wray R, Blount P, Biophysical journal, 2008 Sep; 95 (5):2283-91
Moe P, Blount P, Biochemistry, 2005 Sep; 44 (36):12239-44
Li Y, Moe PC, Chandrasekaran S, Booth IR, Blount P, The EMBO journal, 2002 Oct; 21 (20):5323-30
Ou X, Blount P, Hoffman RJ, Kung C, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 1998 Sep; 95 (19):11471-5
Sukharev SI, Blount P, Martinac B, Blattner FR, Kung C, Nature, 1994 Mar; 368 (6468):265-8
Iscla I, Wray R, Blount P, Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society, 2011 Jul; :1638-42
Related Links
Books
Blount, P., Iscla, I., Moe, P. C. Li, Y., Elsievier Press (St. Louis, MO) 2007
Blount, P., Li, Y., Moe, P. C., Iscla, I., Springer Press (New York) 2008