Madison Script James Madison University
Research Interests

Courses

Curriculum Vitae

Research Group Website

Chemistry Department

College of Science and Mathematics
 

Education 

  • B.S., University of Connecticut (1989) 

  • Ph.D., University of Minnesota (1994) 

Professional preparation

  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Los Alamos National Laboratory (1995-96) 

Selected Publications

  • Ellen M. White, Amanda R. Holland and Gina MacDonald.  Infrared Studies Reveal Unique vibrations Associated with the PGK-ATP-3_PG Ternary Complex.  Biochemistry, 2008,47, 84-91.

  • Catherine M. Schwartz, Penny M. Drown and Gina MacDonald.  Difference FTIR Studies Reveal Nitrogen-Containing Amino Acid Side Chains Are Involved in the Allosteric Regulation of RecA.  Biochemistry 2005, 44, 9733-9745. 

  • Blaine C. Butler, Ross H. Hanchett, Helena Rafailov, and Gina MacDonald. Investigating Structural Changes Induced By Nucleotide Binding to RecA Utilizing Difference FT-IR. Biophys. J. 2002, 82, 2198-2210. 

  • Brenda C. Seal, Dorothy Wynne, and Gina MacDonald* Deaf Students, Teachers, and Interpreters in the Chemistry Lab. J. Chem. Educ. 2002, 79, 239-243. 

  • Janet C. Olchowicz , Deidra R. Coles, Lori E. Kain, and Gina MacDonald. Using Infrared Spectroscopy to Investigate Protein Structure. J. Chem. Educ. 2002, 79, 369-371.

  • Brewer, S.H., Cresawn, S.G., Nguyen, D.T. & MacDonald, G.M. Difference FT-IR Studies of Nucleotide Binding to the Recombination Protein RecA. J. Phys. Chem. B. 2000, 104, 6950-6954. 

Conference Abstracts, Posters, and Presentations with Undergraduate Co-authors

  • Elizabeth Hochreiter and Gina MacDonald. (2007)  Fluorescence Labeling of Neurotransmitters and Metabolites.  Virginia Academy of Science, James Madison University, May 24-26, 2007.

  • Campbell, J. & Gina MacDonald (2007)  “Difference Infrared Studies of Phosphoglycerate Kinase.”  Biophysical Society Meeting, Baltimore, Maryland.

  • Campbell, J. & Gina MacDonald (2006)  “Difference Infrared Studies of Phosphoglycerate Kinase.”  Undergraduate Research Symposium University of Maryland Baltimore County

  • Ramallo, D.F., Hochreiter, E.A., Molloy, J.C. &Gina MacDonald (2006) “Quantitation of blood neurotransmitter metabolites by means of High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).”  American Chemical Society meeting, San Francisco, CA.

  • White, E.M, Holland, A.R., & Gina MacDonald (2006)  “Difference Infrared Studies of Substrate Binding to Phosphoglycerate Kinase”  Biophysical Society  Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah.

  • White, E.M. & Gina MacDonald (2005) “Monitoring Substrate Binding of Yeast Phosphoglycerate Kinase.”  American Chemical Society Meeting, Washington, DC.

  • Holland, A. & Gina MacDonald (2005)  “Investigating the Formation of Beta-Sheet Structure in the L2 Peptide.” National Conference on Undergraduate Research, Lexington, VA.

  • Thomas, A. & Gina MacDonald (2005)  “Monitoring ATP hydrolysis in RecA using infrared spectroscopy.”  National Conference on Undergraduate Research, Lexington, VA.

  • Hoffer, S. & Gina MacDonald (2005) “Nucleotide binding to RecA-ssDNA filaments.”  Colonial Academic Alliance Undergradutate Research Symposium, Hempstead, NY.

  • White, E. & Gina MacDonald (2005) “Monitoring Substrate Binding to Yeast Phosphoglycerate Kinase.” Colonial Academic Alliance Undergradutate Research Symposium, Hempstead, NY.

  • Brakke, M. Thomas, A. & Gina MacDonald (2005) “Monitoring the Assembly and Dissasembly of RecA-DNA filaments.”   Colonial Academic Alliance Undergradutate Research Symposium, Hempstead, NY

  • Brakke, M., Thomas, A. & Gina MacDonald (2004) “Monitoring the Assembly and Dissasembly of RecA-DNA filaments.”   Souteastern Regional American Chemical Society Meeting, Research Triangle Park, NC.

  • Schwartz, C.M, Rudnick J.A. & MacDonald, G. (2003) "Infrared Studies of Nucleotide Binding to RecA." American Chemical Society Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana. 

  • Butler, B.C., Hanchett, R., Rafailov, H., Owusu-Asiedu, G., Firkin, I and MacDonald, G. (2001) "An Infrared Study of the Structural Changes Induced by Nucleotide Binding to RecA." FASEB summer conference on Genetic Recombination and Chromosome Rearrangements, Snowmass, Colorado.

  • Drown, Penny M., Schwartz, Catherine M., and MacDonald G. (2001) "An Infrared Study of the Structural Changes Induced by ADP Binding to RecA in a High Salt Environment" FASEB summer conference on Genetic Recombination and Chromosome Rearrangements, Snowmass, Colorado. 

  • Butler, B.C., Owusu-Asiedu, G. Hanchett, R., Rafailov, H. and MacDonald, G. (2001) "An Infrared Study of the Structural Changes Induced by Nucleotide Binding to RecA" Biophysical Society Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts.

  • Hanchett, R. , and Gina MacDonald. (2001) "Effects of caged nucleotides on single-stranded DNA-Dependent ATPase Activity of Escherichia coli RecA Protein. National Conference on Undergraduate Research, Lexington, KY. 

  • Owusu-Asiedu, Gina, and Gina MacDonald. (2001) "A Difference Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Study of Nucleotide Binding to RecA." National Conference on Undergraduate Research, Lexington, KY. 

  • Hanchett, R.H., MacDonald, G. (2000) "The affect of caged nucleotides on ATPase activity of the E. Coli protein RecA" Undergraduate research symposium University of Maryland Baltimore campus. 

  • Nguyen, D. T., Robinson, J. M., Kick, L. MacDonald, G. (2000) "An Infrared Study of RecA" Biophysical Society Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana. 

  • rewer, S.H., Nguyen, D.T., MacDonald, G. (1999) "A Difference Infrared Spectroscopic Study of RecA" 11th Annual Frontiers of Science Symposium, National Academy of Sciences, Irvine, California.

  • Brewer, S.H., Nguyen, D.T., MacDonald, G. (1999) "A Difference Infrared Spectroscopic Study of RecA" FASEB summer conference on Genetic Recombination and Chromosome Rearrangements, Snowmass, Colorado. 

  • Brewer, S.H., Nguyen, D.T., MacDonald, G. (1999) "An Infrared Spectroscopic Study of RecA" Gordon Research Conference on Bioenergetcis, Andover, NH. 

  • Coles, D.R., Brewer, S.H., MacDonald, G.M. (1999) "A Difference Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Study of Nucleotide Binding to RecA" The National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCCHE) meeting in San Diego, California. 

  • Brewer, S.H., Coles, D.R., Nguyen, D. and MacDonald, G.M. (1999) "An Infrared Study of Rec" Biophysical Society Meeting, Baltimore, Maryland.

  • Brewer, S.H., Cresawn, S.G., & MacDonald, G.M. (1998) "A Difference Infrared Spectroscopic Study of RecA" Southeastern Regional meeting of the American Chemical Society, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. 

  • Brewer, S.H., Cresawn, S.G., & MacDonald, G.M. (1998) "A Difference Infrared Spectroscopic Study of Nucleotide Binding to the Recombination protein, RecA" Biophysical Society Meeting, Kansas City, Missouri. 

  • Brewer, S.H., Cresawn, S.G., & MacDonald, G.M. (1998) "A Difference Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Study of RecA" National Conference on Undergraduate Research, Salisbury, Maryland.

  • Janet C. Olchowicz, & MacDonald, G.M. (1998) "Analysis of Protein Structure using Infrared Spectroscopy" National Conference on Undergraduate Research, Salisbury, Maryland. 

  • Unnam, V.P. & MacDonald, G.M. (1998) "The Study of Protein Structural Changes Induced by ATP Binding to Hexokinase" National Conference on Undergraduate Research, Salisbury, Maryland. 


    Honors

  • 2003 Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award

  • Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Memorial Award in Biophysics (2002)

  • Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (1998) 

  • Bacaner Research Award, University of Minnesota (1994) 

  • Outstanding Poster Award, 19th annual Midwest Photosynthesis Meeting 

  • National Institutes of Health, Molecular Biophysics Training Grant Award 

  • Graduation with High Honors, University of Connecticut (1989) 

  • Olin Award for distinguished undergraduate research in biotechnology 

  • University Scholar, University of Connecticut 

  • National Science Foundation Fellowship (Summer, 1988) 

  • National Science Foundation Fellowship (Summer, 1987) 

Funding

  • MacDonald, G.M. "A n Infrared Investigation of Substrate Binding, Salt Effects and Domain Movement in Yeast Phosphoglycerate Kinase" Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation.
  • MacDonald, G.M. (6/98-6/03) "A Difference Infrared Spectroscopic Study of a Nucleotide Binding Protein" NSF-PECASE (MCB-9733566) $500,000. 
  • MacDonald, G.M. (6/97- 6/99) "An Infrared Spectroscopic Study of RecA- Identifying Protein interactions that Regulate DNA Strand Exchange" Research Corporation (CC4394) $37,224. 
  • MacDonald, G.M. (4/97-8/99) "Fourier Transform Infrared investigation of NucleotideBinding in the Recombination Protein, RecA" American Chemical Society, The Petroleum Research Fund (ACS-PRF-#31702-GB4) $20,000. 

  • Downey, D. M. and MacDonald, G. M. (1/1/04 - 1/1/07) "Summer Undergraduate Chemistry Research at James Madison University:  A Regional REU Site that Includes Deaf Participants" NSF-REU $297,147. 

  • Downey, D. M. and MacDonald, G. M. (1/1/01 - 1/1/04) "Research Experiences in Chemistry at James Madison University" NSF-REU $246,381 
  • Downey, D. M. and MacDonald, G. M. (1/1/98 - 1/1/00) "Undergraduate Research in Chemistry: A Regional Site at James Madison University" NSF-REU $96,466.
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