Professor in Animal Sciences
albrecht@ansci.wisc.edu
608-263-3952
1046 Animal Sciences Bldg
Research Interests:Organophosphate Immunoactivity. Biocompatibility. Imaging. Microscopy. Effects of toxicants on structure and function of immunoactive cells and on regulatory mechanisms influencing immune responses.
Research
Studies involve the synthesis of colloidal nano-particles of unique elemental compositions and shapes including core/shell particles and the conjugation of the nano-particles to ligands or antibodies. The nano-particle conjugates serve as labels which permit correlative imaging of multiple epitopes/receptors at sub-molecular levels of spatial resolution. Various forms of correlative imaging using interference based light microscopy, energy filtering transmission electron microscopy, and high resolution scanning electron microscopy are under development. The use of EFTEM and aberration corrected STEM with high resolution EDX and EELS permits tomographic high resolution imaging of biological structure and simultaneous identification/localization of different label types. Additional studies involve the synthesis of gold coated, superparamagnetic magnetite core/shell nano-particles. Antibody conjugates of the particles selectively target specific cell surface antigens. Once bound to cell membranes the particles can be inductively heated and used to selectively kill labeled cells or to temporarily permeabilize targeted cells via generation of small reversible membrane holes. The use of magnetite and other nanoparticles with MR and CT imaging is also currently being investigated. Other interests include development of methodology to image and investigate the environmental toxicology of nanoparticles of differing shape, size, and chemical composition. Work also involves the use of microcorrosion casting to investigate vascular development in lymph nodes and elsewhere and to develop high resolution structural mimics of native cell adhesive surfaces. Additionally, collaborative efforts with Dr. Claudia Barreto, Univ. of New Mexico, involve the use of high resolution SEM and elemental analysis to investigate the growth plates and associated putative cellular structures of well preserved juvenile dinosaurs and how these compare to existing avian, reptilian, and mammalian species.
Patents & Applications
- Biotextured surfaces. Publication date: 1995-01-10 Publication number: US5380589 A
- Metal of palladium, platinum, rhodium or molybdenum made by reducing metal compound with specified reducing agent. Publication date: 2004-03-02 Publication number: US6699507 B1
- Colloidal magnetic nanobioparticles for cytotoxicity and drug delivery Publication date: 2009-05-28 Publication number: US20090136582 A1
- Colloidal magnetic nanobioparticles for cytotoxicity and drug delivery Publication date: 2011-10-20 Publication number: US20110256621 A1
Publications
- Felder M, Kapur A, Gonzalez-Bosquet J, Horibata S, Heintz J, Albrecht R, Fass L, Kaur J, Hu K, Shojaei H, Whelan RJ, Patankar MS. MUC16 (CA125): tumor biomarker to cancer therapy, a work in progress. Mol Cancer. 2014 May 29;13:129.
- Krystofiak ES, Mattson EC, Voyles PM, Hirschmugl CJ, Albrecht RM, Gajdardziska-Josifovska M, Oliver JA. Multiple morphologies of gold-magnetite heterostructure nanoparticles are effectively functionalized with protein for cell targeting. Microsc Microanal. 2013 Aug;19(4):821-34.
- Ward SK, Heintz JA, Albrecht RM, Talaat AMMultiple morphologies of gold-magnetite heterostructure nanoparticles are effectively functionalized with protein for cell targeting. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2012 May 24;2:63. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3417655.
- Krystofiak ES, Mattson EC, Voyles PM, Hirschmugl CJ, Albrecht RM, Gajdardziska-Josifovska M, Oliver JA. Single-cell elemental analysis of bacteria: quantitative analysis of polyphosphates in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.. Microsc Microanal. 2013 Aug;19(4):821-34. Epub 2013 Jun 7.
- Shippy DC, Heintz JA, Albrecht RM, Eakley NM, Chopra AK, Fadl AA.Deletion of glucose-inhibited division (gidA) gene alters the morphological and replication characteristics of Salmonella enterica Serovar typhimurium. Arch Microbiol. 2012 Jun;194(6):405-12. Epub 2011 Nov 23. Erratum in: Arch Microbiol. 2012 Jun;194(6):413. Chopra, Ashok K [added].
Check PubMed for other publications by Ralph Albrecht
Mentor to METC Graduate Students:
- Joseph Loftus (1984), Peter Thorne (1984)
Mentor to METC Post-Docs:
- Linda Lutz (1989-1990)