Mark Bulmer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
Towson University
Towson, MD 21252 USA
Office: Smith 251
Phone: 410-704-4065
Fax: 410-704-2405
email: mbulmer@towson.edu
Education:
Postdoctoral Northeastern University, James Cook University (Australia), University of Connecticut
Ph.D. Boston University
B.S. Edinburgh University (Scotland)
Courses Taught:
BIOL309 Principles of Genetics
Research Interests:
My research is currently focused on the molecular arms race between termites and their fungal pathogens. Termites
live in large, crowded colonies, which can make them vulnerable to the rapid spread of disease. This predicted vulnerability
has led to the development of fungal pathogen strains as an alternative to chemical control of termite infestations. However,
termites can destroy fungi with secreted antibiotics (small peptides and enzymes). A better understanding of the mechanism
and evolution of this antifungal defense strategy is potentially of great value, not only because it may lead to more effective
termite control methods but also because it can elucidate novel strategies that termites employ to counter the evolution of
antibiotic resistance. This research includes tropical termites and their fungal pathogens in Panama and Australia as well
as in and around Towson.
Publications:
Bulmer, M. S., I. Bachelet, R. Raman, R. B. Rosengaus and R.
Sasisekharan. 2009. Targeting an antimicrobial effector function in
insect immunity as a pest control strategy. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
Adams, E.S., L. Atkinson and M. S. Bulmer. 2007. Relatedness,
recognition errors, and colony fusion in the termite Nasutitermes
corniger. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 61: 1195-1201.
Bulmer, M.S. and R.H. Crozier. 2006. Variation in positive selection
in termite GNBPs and Relish. Molecular Biology and Evolution
23: 317-326.
Bulmer, M.S. and R.H. Crozier. 2004. Duplication and diversifying
selection among termite antifungal peptides. Molecular Biology
and Evolution 21: 2256-2264.
Bulmer, M.S. and J.F.A. Traniello. 2002. Foraging range expansion
and colony genetic organization in the subterranean termite
Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Environmental
Entomology 31: 293-298.
Bulmer, M.S. and J.F.A. Traniello. 2002. Lack of aggression and
spatial association of colony members in Reticulitermes flavipes.
Journal of Insect Behavior 15: 121-126.
Bulmer, M.S., E.S. Adams and J.F.A. Traniello. 2001. Variation in
colony structure in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 49: 236-243.
Thorne, B.L., J.F.A. Traniello, E.S. Adams and M. Bulmer. 1999.
Reproductive dynamics and colony structure of subterranean termites
of the genus Reticulitermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): a review of
the evidence from behavioral, ecological, and genetic studies.
Ethology, Ecology and Evolution 11: 149-169.
Sasisekharan, R., M. Bulmer, K.W. Moremen, C.L. Cooney and R.
Langer. 1993. Cloning and expression of heparinase I gene from
Flavobacterium heparinum. Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences USA 90: 3660-3664.
Graduate Students:
Casey Hamilton
Undergraduate Students:
Diandra Denier
Frank Lay
Roxann Cavey