معرفی
Patrick M. Ferree is a Professor of Biology at the Keck Science Department of The Claremont Colleges. He holds a B.S. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.S. from Wake Forest University, a Ph.D. from the University of California Santa Cruz, and completed postdoctoral training at Cornell University. He teaches courses including Introductory Biology (BIOL43L), Genetics (BIOL143), Developmental Biology (BIOL151L), Molecular Biology Seminar (BIOL173L), and Advanced Genetics (BIOL187F).
His research focuses on chromosome structure and function, heterochromatin, satellite DNA, and mechanisms of microbial/ genetic parasites. Using model organisms like Nasonia vitripennis and Drosophila melanogaster, he investigates selfish genetic elements (e.g., bacterial symbionts, B chromosomes) that disrupt reproductive processes. Methodologies include fluorescence confocal microscopy, classical genetics, transgenesis, CRISPR, RNA interference, and genomics.
Supervised thesis topics include lethal ring-Y chromosomes, satellite divergence, selfish B chromosomes, and Spiroplasma-induced male killing. His publications demonstrate consistent focus on genetic parasitism mechanisms, with recent work (2020-2023) emphasizing B chromosome dynamics and earlier studies (2003-2009) exploring Wolbachia-host interactions.
