Chemistry Faculty - Retired

 Biochemistry

Courses recently taught

Research interests: regulation of enzyme synthesis, circadian rhythms in enzyme synthesis and nutritional availability of iron in foods.

From the point of view of public health, enrichment of common foods has been hugely successful. Plant breeding techniques (selection for varieties with increased nutrients), genetic modification techniques (for example, transfer of genes for production of carotenes into rice cultivars to produce “golden rice”), and addition of supplements during processing have been effective. Iron lack anemia is a major health problem in both the underdeveloped world and the developed world. Many cereal products in both the developed world and in the underdeveloped world are fortified with iron by the addition of elemental iron. This laboratory is presently interested in investigating the bioavailability of these iron metal supplements to determine whether they are effective to improve iron nutriture.

Representative Publications

Morris, JE; and Gale*, JM. “Glucocorticoid and/or high dietary protein increased serine dehydratase activity in gerbil liver; high protein increased, but glucocorticoid decreased ornithine aminotransferase activity in the same animals.”, Federation Proc. Current and Future Research Directions1981, 40, 1684.

Morris, JE; and Peraino, C. “Immuno-chemical studies of serine dehydratase and ornithine aminotransferase regulation in rat liver in vivo.” J. Biol. Chem., 1976, 251, 2571.

Peraino, C; Morris, JE; and Shenoy, ST. “Evidence for different mechanisms in the circadian and glucocorticoid control of rat liver ornithine aminotransferase sysnthesis.” Life Sciences, 1976, 19, 1435.

Vestling, MM:, and Morris, JE. “Integrating assignments in the chemical literature in course work.” J. Coll. Sci. Teaching, 1976, 5, 176.

Morris, JE; Peraino, C.; and Strayer, D**. “Molecular weight of rat liver ornithine-ketoacid aminotransferase.” Prod. Soc. Expl. Biol. Med., 1974, 147, 706.

* Undergraduate student author (NSF-URP supported research)
** Part of Thesis research for M.S. degree SUNY College at Brockport (biology[biochemistry])