Kathleen Cusick
Assistant Professor
Biological Sciences
Biological Sciences 324
Education
Postdoc US Naval Research Laboratory, Chemistry Division 2016
Postdoc University of Tennessee 2013
Ph D University of Tennessee 2009
MS Florida Institute of Technology/Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute 2000
BS Dickinson College 1997
About
I have a Master's in Marine Biology and PhD in Microbiology. Combining these backgrounds, I use molecular tools to study the microbial ecology of coastal marine systems, with a special emphasis on harmful algal bloom ecology and evolution. My research is interdisciplinary in nature and spans the fields of microbial (including algal) genetics and genomics; molecular biology; environmental microbiology; ecotoxicology; and transcriptomics.
Research Interests
ecology and evolution of harmful algal blooms; bioluminescence and toxin production in HABs; marine microbial ecology; marine biofilms; copper and antibiotic resistance in marine bacteria
Teaching Interests
Microbiology; climate change; harmful algal blooms
Selected Classes
- Spring 2019 BIOL 275 – Microbiology
- BIOL 602 – Intro Lab/Field Research
- Fall 2018 BIOL 739 – Res Sem in Molecular Biology
- Spring 2018 BIOL 739 – Res Seminar in Molecular Biology
Contracts, Fellowships, Grants, and Sponsored Research
Cusick, Kathleen. “Early Career Travel Grant,” Grant (Funded). Sponsored By: Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography. Feb 28, 2011).
Cusick, Kathleen. “Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid,” Grant (Funded). Sponsored By: Sigma Xi. (Jan 1, 1998 – Dec 31, 1999).
Cusick, Kathleen. “NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program Fellowship,” Fellowship (Funded). Sponsored By: NASA. (Aug 1, 2005 – Aug 31, 2008).
Cusick, Kathleen. “National Academies Post-doctoral Fellowship,” Fellowship (Funded). Sponsored By: National Academies/National Research Council. (Nov 1, 2013 – Nov 30, 2016).
Cusick, Kathleen. “Summer Research Faculty Fellowship,” Fellowship (Funded). Sponsored By: UMBC Office of the Vice President for Research. (Jun 1, 2018 – Aug 31, 2018).
Intellectual Contributions
Cusick, Kathleen, Wei, BF, Hall, S, Brown, N, Widder, EA, Boyer, GL. (2024). Toxin Dynamics among Populations of the Bioluminescent HAB Species <i>Pyrodinium bahamense</i> from the Indian River Lagoon, FL. 7. 22 MARINE DRUGS.
Cusick, Kathleen, Gautam, Pratima. (2023). Development of a real-time quantitative PCR assay for detection and quantification of the marine bacterium Alteromonas macleodii from coastal environments. 106629. 204 J. Microbiological Methods.
Cusick, Kathleen, Iturbide, A, Gautam, P, Price, A, Polson, S, MacDonald, M, Erill, Ivan. (2021). Enhanced copper-resistance gene repertoire in Alteromonas macleodii strains isolated from copper-treated marine coatings.. 9. 16 e0257800 PloS one.
Cusick, Kathleen, Widder, Edith A. (2020). Bioluminescence and Toxicity as Driving Factors in Harmful Algal Blooms: Ecological Functions and Genetic Capacity. 98 101850 Harmful Algae.
Cusick, Kathleen, Polson, Shawn W., Duran, Gabriel, Hill, Russell T. (2020). Multiple megaplasmids confer extremely high levels of metal tolerance in Alteromonas strains.. 86 e01831-19. Appl. Environ. Microbiol..
Gaston, Joel D., Bischel, Lauren L., Fitzgerald, Lisa A., Cusick, Kathleen, Ringeisen, Bradley R., Pirlo, Russell K. (2017). Gene Expression Changes in Long-Term In Vitro Human Blood-Brain Barrier Models and Their Dependence on a Transwell Scaffold Material. JOURNAL OF HEALTHCARE ENGINEERING.
Cusick, Kathleen, Dale, Jason R., Fitzgerald, Lisa A., Little, Brenda J., Biffinger, Justin C. (2017). Adaptation to copper stress influences biofilm formation in Alteromonas macleodii. 6. 33 505-519 BIOFOULING.
Cusick, Kathleen, Wilhelm, Steven W., Hargraves, Paul E., Sayler, Gary S. (2016). Single-cell PCR of the luciferase conserved catalytic domain reveals a unique cluster in the toxic bioluminescent dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense. 25 139-150 AQUATIC BIOLOGY.
Cusick, Kathleen, Lin, Baochuan, Malanoski, Anthony P., Strycharz-Glaven, Sarah M., Cockrell-Zugell, Allison, Fitzgerald, Lisa A., Cramer, Jeffrey A., Barlow, Daniel E., Boyd, Thomas J., Biffinger, Justin C. (2016). Molecular Mechanisms Contributing to the Growth and Physiology of an Extremophile Cultured with Dielectric Heating. 20. 82 6233-6246 APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY.
Biffinger, Justin C., Barlow, Daniel E., Cockrell, Allison L., Cusick, Kathleen, Hervey, William J., Fitzgerald, Lisa A., Nadeau, Lloyd J., Hung, Chia S., Crookes-Goodson, Wendy J. (2015). The applicability of Impranil (R) DLN for gauging the biodegradation of polyurethanes. 120 178-185 POLYMER DEGRADATION AND STABILITY.
Cockrell, Allison L., Pirlo, Russell K., Babson, David M., Cusick, Kathleen, Soto, Carissa M., Petersen, Emily R., Davis, Miah J., Hong, Christian I., Lee, Kwangwon, Fitzgerald, Lisa A., Biffinger, Justin C. (2015). Suppressing the Neurospora crassa circadian clock while maintaining light responsiveness in continuous stirred tank reactors. 5 SCIENTIFIC REPORTS.
Cusick, Kathleen, Fitzgerald, Lisa A., Cockrell, Allison L., Biffinger, Justin C. (2015). Selection and Evaluation of Reference Genes for Reverse Transcription-Quantitative PCR Expression Studies in a Thermophilic Bacterium Grown under Different Culture Conditions. 6. 10 PLOS ONE.
Cockrell, Allison L., Fitzgerald, Lisa A., Cusick, Kathleen, Barlow, Daniel E., Tsoi, Stanislav D., Soto, Carissa M., Baldwin, Jeffrey W., Dale, Jason R., Morris, Robert E., Little, Brenda J., Biffinger, Justin C. (2015). Differences in Physical and Biochemical Properties of Thermus scotoductus SA-01 Cultured with Dielectric or Convection Heating. 18. 81 6285-6293 APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY.
Cusick, Kathleen, Fitzgerald, Lisa A., Pirlo, Russell K., Cockrell, Allison L., Petersen, Emily R., Biffinger, Justin C. (2014). Selection and Evaluation of Reference Genes for Expression Studies with Quantitative PCR in the Model Fungus Neurospora crassa under Different Environmental Conditions in Continuous Culture. 12. 9 PLOS ONE.
Cusick, Kathleen, Widder, Edith A. (2014). Intensity differences in bioluminescent dinoflagellates impact foraging efficiency in a nocturnal predator. 3. 90 797-811 BULLETIN OF MARINE SCIENCE.
Cusick, Kathleen. (2013). An overview of the ecophysiology, molecular biology, and ecological impacts of the toxic bioluminescent dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense. Dinoflagellates: Biology, Geographical Distribution and Economic Importance New York: Nova Publishers.
Cusick, Kathleen, Wetzel, Randall K., Dodani, Sheel C., Wilhelm, Steven W., Sayler, Gary S. (2013). Paralytic shellfish toxins inhibit copper uptake in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. 6. 32 1388-1395 ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY.
Cusick, Kathleen, Sayler, Gary S. (2013). An Overview on the Marine Neurotoxin, Saxitoxin: Genetics, Molecular Targets, Methods of Detection and Ecological Functions. 4. 11 991-1018 MARINE DRUGS.
Ritalahti, Kirsti M., Justicia-Leon, Shandra D., Cusick, Kathleen, Ramos-Hernandez, Natalia, Rubin, Michael, Dornbush, Jessica, Loeffler, Frank E. (2012). Sphaerochaeta globosa gen. nov., sp nov and Sphaerochaeta pleomorpha sp nov., free-living, spherical spirochaetes. 62 210-216 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY.
Cusick, Kathleen, Lee, Yi-Ying, Youchak, Brian, Belas, Robert. (2012). Perturbation of FliL Interferes with Proteus mirabilis Swarmer Cell Gene Expression and Differentiation. 2. 194 437-447 JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY.
Cusick, Kathleen, Dodani, Sheel C., Chang, Christopher J., Wilhelm, Steven W., Sayler, Gary S. (2012). Inhibition of Copper Uptake in Yeast Reveals the Copper Transporter Ctr1p As a Potential Molecular Target of Saxitoxin. 5. 46 2959-2966 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY.
Cusick, Kathleen, Boyer, Gregoby L., Wilhelm, Steven W., Sayler, Gary S. (2009). Transcriptional Profiling of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Upon Exposure to Saxitoxin. 15. 43 6039-6045 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY.
Cusick, Kathleen, Duran, Gabriel. SxtA4+ and sxtA4- Genotypes Occur Together within Natural Pyrodinium bahamense Sub-populations from the Western Atlantic. Microorganisms.
Gautam, Pratima, Erill, Ivan, Cusick, Kathleen. Linking Copper-associated signal transduction systems with their environment in marine bacteria.. 1012. 11 Microorganisms.
Cusick, Kathleen, Wei, Bofan, Brown, Nicole, Widder, Edith, Boyer, Gregory L. Saxitoxin dynamics underlying bloom development and persistence in the bioluminescent HAB species Pyrodinium bahamense.. ICHA Proceedings
Research In Progress
Cusick, Kathleen, Greenawalt, Wendy, Wolf, Julia B., Gardner, Jeffrey G. “Development of a genetic system for Alteromonas,” Scholarly (On-Going). Sep 1, 2017
Cusick, Kathleen, Erill, Ivan. “Intracellular Signaling in Alteromonas,” Scholarly (On-Going). Nov 1, 2017
Cusick, Kathleen, Hunsucker, Kelli, Price, Amelia, Gautam, Pratima. “Horizontal gene transfer as a driver of copper resistance in marine bacteria,” Scholarly (On-Going). Mar 1, 2018
Cusick, Kathleen, Boyer, Greg, Widder, Edith, Place, Allen. “Exploring the Link between Toxicity and Bioluminescence in HABs,” (On-Going). Aug 1, 2019
Presentations
Cusick, Kathleen. 12TH Annual US HAB SYMPOSIUM. Oral Presentation. "Toxicity and Underlying Transcriptional Dynamics Among Populations of the Bioluminescent HAB species Pyrodinium bahamense from the Indian River Lagoon, FL," (Oct 31, 2024).
Cusick, Kathleen, Whitis, Maureen M (Author). Gordon Research Conference on Phycotoxins and Mycotoxins. Poster. "The Effects of Copper on Growth and Saxitoxin Production in the Harmful Algal Bloom Dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense," Gordon Research Conference. (Jun 1, 2019).
Cusick, Kathleen, Gautam, Pratima (Author). ASM Microbe. Poster. "Novel Mechanisms of Copper Tolerance in the Marine Bacterium Alteromonas macleodii," American Society for Microbiology. (Jun 1, 2019).
Cusick, Kathleen, Price, Amelia (Author), Biffinger, Justin (Author). 6th American Society for Microbiology Conference on Cell-Cell Communication in Bacteria. Poster. "Comparative genomics of cyclic di-GMP signaling in strains of the globally-distributed marine bacterium Alteromonas macleodii," ASM. (Oct 1, 2017).
Cusick, Kathleen, Little, Brenda (Author), Biffinger, Justin (Author). 2nd American Society for Microbiology Conference on Experimental Microbial Evolution. Poster. "Adaptation and evolution of a marine microbe following long-term exposure to elevated copper," ASM. (Aug 1, 2016).
Cusick, Kathleen, Dale, Jason (Author), Little, Brenda (Author), Cockrell, Allison (Author), Biffinger, Justin (Author). Ocean Sciences Meeting. Poster. "Genomic and transcriptomic analyses to identify pathways involved in nanoparticle generation in the ubiquitous marine bacterium Alteromonas macleodii under elevated copper conditions," ASLO. (Feb 1, 2016).
Cusick, Kathleen, Dale, Jason (Author), Little, Brenda (Author), Biffinger, Justin (Author). 7th American Society for Microbiology Conference on Biofilms. Poster. "Adaptation to copper stress promotes biofilm formation in Alteromonas macleodii," ASM. (Oct 1, 2015).
Cusick, Kathleen, Cockrell, Allison (Author), Fitzgerald, Lisa (Author), Dale, Jason, Baldwin, Jeffrey, Biffinger, Justin (Author). 115th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. Oral Presentation. "Molecular mechanisms associated with anaerobic metal reduction in a thermophilic bacterium (Thermus sp.)," ASM. (Jun 1, 2015).