Darlene Loprete

Darlene Loprete is a Professor of Chemistry at Rhodes College, with research focusing on the molecular mechanisms of fungal cell wall assembly and regulation. Her work utilizes Aspergillus nidulans and Achlya ambisexualis to study cell wall integrity through genetic and biochemical approaches.

• Education: Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Rhode Island, B.A. in Science, Technology and Society from Clark University.

Loprete’s research investigates how fungal cell walls—comprising polysaccharides and glycoproteins—are assembled and modified, particularly under stress conditions. Her lab pioneered screens for cell wall mutants using Calcofluor White hypersensitivity to identify critical genes.

Her publications span molecular biology, fungal genetics, and structural biochemistry, with recent emphasis on cell wall integrity in Aspergillus nidulans and enzyme activity in Achlya ambisexualis. Grants from NSF and Merck/AAAS have supported her interdisciplinary work, which engages undergraduates in fungal genetics research.

Collaborators include Drs. Terry Hill, Loretta Jackson-Hayes, and others. Her lab’s findings contribute to understanding fungal pathogenesis and informing antifungal therapies.