Marceline Egnin, Ph.D.

Email:  megnin@tuskegee.edu
Phone: 334-724-4404 or 727-8084

EDUCATION / TRAINING
The Pennsylvania State University Ph.D. 1992 Genetics /Molecular Biology
The Pennsylvania State University M.S. 1988 Genetics and Plant Breeding
Université d'Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire Maîtrise 1985 Genetique
Université d'Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire B.S. 1983 Biological (Natural) Science

POSITIONS / EMPLOYMENT
Associate Research Professor of Plant Biotechnology, Tuskegee University 2000-present
Coordinator, Plant Biotech and Genomic Research Program 2001-Present
Co-Director Southern AgBiotech Consortium for Underserved Communities Program 2000-present
Research Assistant Professor of Plant Molecular Genetics, Tuskegee University 1997-2000
Research Scientist NASA/CFESH, Tuskegee University 1993-1997

AREAS OF INTEREST
Biotechnology and Genomics

CAREER IMPACTS AND INNOVATIONS
Research: Research in plant genomics, molecular biology, breeding, protein engineering, gene expression, tissue culture. Expression of nutritionally and pharmacologically-active products in transgenic crops. Focus on human obesity disorder and food crops such as sweetpotato, peanut and yam.
New Technologies: Develop High-Protein and nutritious transgenic sweetpotato and peanut plants with value added traits; develop in-vitro systems for peanut seed production and sweetpotato edible root; NIH project EXPORT with genomics and vaccine related to obesity gene and leptin profiling.
Work featured in: Wall Street Journal; US Black Engineer Magazine; Montgomery Advertiser; pamphlets; Village Voice- 1998 Trend of Nature; Peanut Farmers-1998; Agricell report-1998, 2000 & 2001; Demegen Press Releases; Chemical Online; Focus (Germany); Biosafety News (Kenya); NASA Press Release, Union Spring News; The History Channel, Alabama Agricultural Video; WSFA Morning News; Tuskegee News; Selma News.

SELECTIVE PUBLICATIONS / PATENTS / OTHER SCHOLARSHIPS
Gao, H., M. Egnin, G. He, F. Woolard & D. Mortley. 2005. Expression Profiling of Differentially Expressed Genes Possibly Related To Sweetpotato Storage Root Development. In Vitro Cell & Dev. Biol. 41(4): 569. Brown, V., M. Egnin, E. Powell, R. Pace, E. Kebede, C. Harrison & M. Gore. 2005. Metabolic Profiling And Assessing Polymorphism in Leptin and Obesity Gene In African American. Cell & Dev. Biol. Vert. 41 (4): 4.
T N & Associates, Inc, C. S. Prakash & M. Egnin. 2004. Strategic Monitoring for Ecological Impacts from Crops with Plant Incorporated Protectants. National Center for Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Washington, DC 20460. Internal Guidelines.
Gichuhi, P., E. Broomfield, N. Alvarez, P. Biswas, M. Egnin, K. Kpomblekou-A, & A. C. Bovell-Benjamin. 2004. Protein profiles and morphological structures of newly developed sweetpotato cultivars (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam). Technical Paper # 04ICES-291 2001-012278. SAE International, Warrendale, PA.
Harrison, C. A. & M. Egnin. 2004. An Approach to Biotechnology In the High School: Modeling DNA, RNA and Proteins. In Vitro Cell and Dev. Biol. 40 (4): 4-5.Kone-Coulibaly, S., M. Egnin, G. He & C. S. Prakash. 2003. Profiling Differentially Expressed Gene in Yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir) During Dormancy. In Vitro Cell and Dev. Biol. 39(4): 27A.
Egnin, M. L. Crawford & A. Sema. 2003. Development of an In Vitro Tuberization System for the Developmental Studies of Sweetpotato (Ipomoea Batatas L.) Micro-storage Root Formation. In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol.-Plant 3 9(4): 19A.Shireen, K., R. Pace, M. Egnin, & C. S. Prakash. 2002. Bioavailability of Calcium From Transgenic sweetpotato and Soy Flour Supplemented Diets In Hamsters. J. Env. Sci & Health. B37 (6): 637-645.
Egnin, M., M. Walker, C. S. Prakash & J. Jaynes. 2002. Transgenic ‘High Protein’ Sweetpotatoes (Ipomoea batatas L., PI 318846-3) Engineered with An Artificial Storage Protein Gene (asp-1) Alter The Temporal Distribution / Accumulation of Sporamin and ß–amylase. In Vitro Cell and Dev. Biol. 38 (4): 56A.
Shireen, K., R. Pace, M. Egnin & C. S. Prakash. 2001. Effects of Different Dietary Proteins and Trypsin Inhibitor on Growth and Lipid Metabolism in Hamsters. Malaysian Journal of Nutrition 1-14 (1& 2):1-13.
Egnin, M., C. S. Prakash, L. Urban, T. Zimmerman, S. Crossman, and J. Jaynes. 2001. Field Performance Of Transgenic High Protein and Essential Amino Acids Sweetpotatoes (Ipomoea batatas L., PI 318846-3) Containing a Synthetic Storage Protein asp-1 Gene Show No Yield/Phenotypic Cost of an Extra Gene. In Vitro Cell & Dev. Biol. 37 (3): 36-37A.
Jackson, J., M Egnin, C.S. Prakash, H. Mason & C. Arntzen. 2000. Development Of Transgenic Peanut Plants Producing Edible Vaccine Against Cholera. In Vitro Cell And Dev. Biol. 36 (3): 47-A.
Egnin, M., A. Mora & C. S. Prakash. 1998. Factors Enhancing Agrobacterium tumefaciens-Mediated Gene Transfer in Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea L.). In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol.-Plant 34:310-318.
Prakash, C. S., M. Egnin, G. He & D. Scott. 1997. Molecular Insight into the Sweetpotato Root Biology. In: Ed. H. Flores and J. Lynch Radical Biology. American Society of Plant Physiologist Series 18:307-319.

COURSES TAUGHT / STUDENT ADVISEMENT
Teaching: PLSS 595 & EVSC 595 Special Problem, PLSS 700 & EVSC 700 Research; Guess Lectures on biotechnology/Genomics in Drs. Prakash, Biswas, Rhoden, Brown and Hileman/ Classes.
Advisement: Advisor for 35 graduate/undergraduate students; Trained 30 International Visiting Scientists; Trained 350 K-12 youth, 120 K-12 teachers and 5 extension agents.
H Gao (May 2006 Differential Gene Expression Profiling in Sweetpotato Storage Root Development.
P Karanja (July 2004) Molecular Approach To Sweetpotato Microstorage Root Formation in vitro.
A Williams (2004) Development of In-vitro System for Peanut Micropropagation and Seed Production.
S Kone-Coulibaly (2004) Differentially Expression of genes during Yam Post Harvest storage.
M Walker (August 2003) Molecular characterization of Super-High Protein Sweetpotato.
Chantal Daniels (2001) Development of Sweetpotato Tissue Culture and Transformation Techniques.
Jacqueline Jackson (May 2000) Expression of Pharmacologically-Active Products in Peanut
Xiaoping Zhu (1998) Engineering Sweetpotato and Tobacco with Rabies Vaccine Glycoproteins.

OUTREACH / SERVICE
Outreach Activities: Bringing biotech genomics and biotechnology education Program to K-12 youth and teachers, and to Sub-Saharan African Communities, bringing valued-added crop to Southern Underserved Communities-Farmers, USDA High School Apprenticeship Program, Summer High School Internship.
Educational Workshop Organized: Southern AgBiotech Consortium of Underserved Community (SACUC) Teachers AgBiotech Workshop Summer 2002, 2003, 2004 &2005; SACUC Community Outreach workshop Fall 2002, 2003 and June 2004; SACUC Biotech Commodity Outreach Fall 2002 to 2004; Summer Youth (K-12) Biotech Experiential Learning Summers 1996 to 2005; Kenyan Teachers’ and Students’ Biotechnology Workshop July 2004, Nairobi, Kenya. Co-convener Nutraceuticals and Biopharming/Vaccines (SIVB).
Delegate to the USAID African Biotechnology Partnership Meeting Nairobi, 2002; USDA/CSREES 2005 Invited Success Story Presentation for Successful Implementation of IFAFs Biotech Outreach Consortium Project (2000-2005)

International Impact
Dr. Ramanjini Gowda, Univ.Agri Sciences (India) Biopolymer and Rabies genes in sweetpotato.
Dr. Qihan Xue, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (China) Green Fluorescent Protein gene.
Mr. Aswaldi Anwar (Indonesia) Radiation-Induced mutations in Sweetpotato Tissue Cultures. IAEA.
Mr. Martin Steinau (Germany) Transformation with Sweetpotato Crinivirus CP Resistance Gene.
Mr. Tarek Radwan (Egypt) Tissue Culture and Transformation/Techniques for medicinal plants.
Mrs. Agnes Alajo (Uganda) Tissue Culture/Transformation Techniques for African Sweetpotato. UNESCO.
Ms. Dinh Thi Phong (Vietnam) Transformation of Vietnamese Sweetpotato Cultivars. ISAAA.
Anne Sama (Cameroon) Tissue Culture/Transformation Techniques for African Taro. TU-SABRAD.
Ms. Marian Dorcas Quain (Ghana) Dioscorea Species & Solenostemon Rotundifolius. World Bank.
Prof Walter Alhassan (Ghana) Biotech Outreach To West Africa. (USAID/ABSP II, August 2005)

AWARDS / HONORS / LEADERSHIP
The 1996 USDA Group Honor Award for Professional Excellence in NASA Space Research; The 1996 CSRES Award for Distinguished Scientific Research; Certificate of Appreciation in Environmental Science Training for Retention and Excellence in Sciences; Member Society of In Vitro Biology Plant Group; Delegate USAID African Biotechnology Partnership Meeting, Nairobi, 2002; Invited Fellow Salzburg Seminar 2001.