Senior Research Associate, Microbial Aerosol Research Laboratory LLC
10975 Doll Road
Monmouth, OR  97361-9542
USA
Phone/Fax: 503-838-2264
email: KevinRSPrier@attbi.com

1999.  LabVIEW Basics I & II.  LabVIEW graphical programming course.

1991-1995.  Thesis work in Zoology (Insect Neurophysiology), University of Basel, Switzerland.

• Received three-year competitive NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.
• Thesis title:  Specialization of sensory organs - the chordotonal system of the locust, Schistocerca gregaria. PDF, 2.7 MB

December, 1990.  B.S. Biology with minor in French, University of Oregon.
    Cumulative GPA 3.59 out of possible 4.00

December, 1989.  Graduate Records Examination (GRE).

•     Verbal:  720/800 (96%ile)
•     Quantitative:  770/800 (94%ile)
•     Analytical:  800/800  (99%ile)
•     Biology:  780/1000 (92%ile)

Languages:  English (native), German (fluent- read, write, speak), French (fluent- read, write, speak).

WORK AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE  Top of Page

1998-Present.  Senior Research Associate, Microbial Aerosol Research Laboratory LLC, 10975 Doll Road, Monmouth, OR  97361, and University of Montana.

Developed and constructed a wind tunnel system to investigate the adsorption of aerosolized bacterial spores onto flying honey bees.  As sole and original employee at MARL, I started with an empty lab and produced a published paper in one year.  I am responsible for all experimentation (design and implementation); data compilation and analysis; selection, ordering, and maintenance of supplies and equipment; maintenance of bee colony; record keeping and laboratory housekeeping; literature searches; most phone contacts; quarterly reports to funding agency (DARPA); and writing of abstracts and published papers.  Also:

• Independently programmed LabVIEW to automatically control and monitor entire wind tunnel system through a set of user-defined experimental parameters.
• Designed and conducted experiments with tethered bees in wind tunnel, free-flying bees in a greenhouse, and free-flying bees in an outdoor setting.
• Designed several novel assay procedures for quantifying spores adsorbed onto bees using aseptic techniques, bacterial cell culture and media preparation, and fluorescent probes.
• Created and published mathematical model for adsorption of spores onto flying honey bees.
• Presented results at international scientific meetings and published in peer-reviewed journals.

1995-1998.  Research Associate in the Tublitz lab, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon.

Designed and performed research projects to qualify and quantify morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes in identified neurons during development using:

• Electrophysiology and intracellular cobalt injection,
• 3-D microscopic reconstruction of neurons,
• immunohistochemistry,
• in vivo hormone manipulation,
• isolation and culture of single neurons, including culture preparation and maintenance.

Also:

• Nascent projects involved considerable trouble-shooting and modifications to existing experimental designs.
• Supervised undergraduate research projects and aided students with designing experiments and interpreting data, including use of an immuno dot blot assay to detect picomolar amounts of peptide.
• Results have been presented at regional and international scientific conferences and as a paper in a peer-reviewed journal.

Independently designed and performed experiments detailing the processing of sensory information in the CNS of the locust.  Sensory organs were three sets of homologous organs in the thorax (wing-hinge chordotonal organs) and abdomen (tympanal organs and pleural chordotonal organs).

• Investigations traced the axonal projections of the individual sensory organs into the CNS by cobalt fills in whole mounts and sections.
• Identified many central processing neurons in the CNS using intracellular electrophysiology.
• Analyzed how specialization among the sets of sensory organs affected their axonal projections and processing by central neurons.
• Results have been presented at several international scientific conferences and have been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
• Also taught several small practical courses and was a guest lecturer for two colloquia.

1987-1991.  Research Assistant in two labs at the University of Oregon and at the CNRA, Versailles, France.

Independent research projects and collaborations included investigations using:

• Dissection, surgery on live, anesthetized animals (mostly invertebrates);
• Molecular techniques including PCR, cloning, and sub-cloning;
• Immunohistochemistry (fluorescence, DAB, HRP, True Blue, immunogold);
• Histology techniques for light, fluorescence, and electron microscopy;
• Microscopy and photomicrography on transmitted light, epifluorescence, and electron microscopes;
• Darkroom experience developing films and prints;
• Bioassays on live tissue;
• Cell isolation and tissue cultures (bacterial, plant, and animal cells);
• Second-messenger (cAMP, cGMP, IP3) assays using scintillation counts;
• Protein assays, including ELISA and spectrophotometry;
• Independent data analysis, including statistics;
• Independently writing up results for publication and for presentation at scientific conferences; and
• Independently taught two sections of an upper division laboratory course in Animal Physiology.

PUBLICATIONS   Top of Page

Papers:

• Harris, P.J., E.L. Clason, and K.R. Prier (1989).  Tubulin polymerization in unfertilized sea-urchin eggs induced by elevated temperature, J. Cell Science 93:9-17.
• Prier, K.R., O.H. Beckman and N.J. Tublitz (1994).  Modulating a modulator:  Biogenic amines at subthreshold levels potentiate peptide-mediated cardioexcitation of the heart of the tobacco hawkmoth Manduca sexta.  J. Exp. Biol. 197:377-391. PDF, 125Kb
• McGraw, H.F., K.R.S. Prier, J.C. Wiley, and N.J. Tublitz (1998).  Steroid regulated morphological plasticity in a set of identified peptidergic neurons in the moth, Manduca sexta.  J. Exp. Biol. 201:2981-2992. PDF, 240Kb
• Prier, K.R., and G.S. Boyan (2000).  Synaptic input from serial chordotonal organs onto segmentally homologous interneurons in the grasshopper Schistocerca gregaria.  J. Insect Physiol. 46:297-312. PDF, 400Kb
• Lighthart, B., K.R. Prier, G.M. Loper, and J.J. Bromenshenk (2000).  Bees scavenge airborne bacteria.  Microb. Ecol. 39:314-321.PDF, 180Kb
• Lighthart, B., K.R. Prier, G.M. Loper, and J.J. Bromenshenk (2000). Honey bees scavenge airborne bacteria from the atmosphere.  Proceedings, 14th Conference on Biometeorology & Aerobiology, pp. 233-234. PDF, 20Kb
• Prier, K.R., B. Lighthart, G.M. Loper, and J.J. Bromenshenk (2000). Honey bees scavenge airborne bacteria from the atmosphere.  Proceedings, 1st Joint Conference on Point Detection for Chemical and Biological Defense, pp. 380-389. PDF, 620Kb
• Prier, K.R., B. Lighthart, and J.J. Bromenshenk (2001).  An adsorption model of aerosolized bacterial spores (Bacillus subtilus variety niger) onto free-flying honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and its validation. Environ. Entomol. 30:1188-1194. PDF, 258Kb
• Lighthart, B., K.R.S. Prier, and J.J. Bromenshenk (2002).  Detection of aerosolized bacterial spores (Bacillus subtilis var. niger) using free-flying honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) as collectors.  Appl. & Environ. Microbiol.  In Review.

• Harris, P.J.  and K.R. Prier (1988).  Tubulin Polymerization induced by elevated temperature in unfertilized sea urchin eggs.  Abstracts, Fourth International Congress of Cell Biology.
• Prier, K.R.  and N.J. Tublitz (1991).  Modulating a modulator:  Aminergic potentiation of a peptidergic response in a moth.  Abstracts, Society for Neuroscience 21st annual meeting, New Orleans, LA.
• Prier, K.R.  and G.S. Boyan (1992).  Segmental relationships and information processing among thoracic neurons in the CNS of the locust, Schistocerca gregaria.  Abstracts, 20. Göttinger Neurobiologentagung, "Rhythmogenesis in Neurons and Networks."
• Prier, K.R.  and G.S. Boyan (1993).  Chordotonal input onto an identified auditory interneuron (714) in the locust, Schistocerca gregaria.  Abstracts, 21. Göttinger Neurobiologentagung, "Gene, Brain, Behavior."
• Prier, K.R.  and G.S. Boyan (1994).  Interactions of serially homologous sensory organs with an identified central neuron in the locust, Schistocerca gregaria.  Abstracts, 22. Göttinger Neurobiologentagung,  "Sensory Transduction."
• Prier, K.R. and G.S. Boyan (1996).  Multiple sensory inputs onto a set of segmentally homologous interneurons in the locust Schistocerca gregaria.  Abstracts, Society for Neuroscience 26th annual meeting, Washington, D.C.
• McGraw, H.F.,  K.R. Prier, J.C. Wiley and N.J. Tublitz (1996).  Differential effects of 20-hydroxyecdysone on the morphology of insect neurosecretory cells in vivo and in vitro. Abstracts, Society for Neuroscience 26th annual meeting, Washington, D.C.