Emeritus Professor Profile Image
Emeritus Professor Biological Sciences knickerson1@unl.edu 402-472-2253 Beadle Center E151

Research Interests

I am a Microbial Physiologist and Biochemist with broad interests in bacterial, fungal, and algal systems. Active areas of research include: fungal dimorphism in Candida albicans and Ceratocystis ulmi; farnesol as a quorum sensing molecule (QSM) produced by C. albicans; farnesol’s mode of action as a QSM and as a virulence factor; anaerobic growth of C. albicans; urea metabolism in C. albicans and other fungi; biotinylated histones in C. albicans; chlamydospore formation in C. albicans; high cell density QSMs from diatoms and other algae; microbial ecology of alkaline lakes in Western Nebraska.

Past research areas included: Bacillus thuringiensis and other microbial insecticides, mechanisms of bacterial detergent resistance, and the physiological functions of polyamines in microbes.

Recent Publications

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Specialization:
  • Quorum Sensing and Fungal Dimorphism in Candida albicans
Education:
  • Ph.D. University of Cincinnati
  • B.S. Rutgers University