Thomas Leonard | UW Laboratory of Genetics
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Thomas Leonard










Professor Emeritus Genetics


B.A., Clark University, Worcester, MA, 1962
Ph.D., Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 1967

Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, (J.R. Raper), 1967-68



Address: 1420 Genetics/Biotech
Telephone: 262-1069
E-mail: tjleonard@wisc.edu

Research Interests:

Yeast and Fungi

Representative Publications:

Somatic recombination in the fungus Schizophyllum commune:

Leonard, T.J. 1975. An inherited neoplasm in a fungus. Proc.Nat’l Acad.Sci.USA 72:4626-4630.

Leonard, T.J., S. Dick, and R. Gaber. 1978. Internuclear genetic transfer in vegetative dikaryons of Schizophyllum commune. GeInetics 88:13-26.

Leonard, T.J., R. Gaber,  and S. Dick 1978.  Internuclear genetic transfer in vegetative dikaryons of Schizophyllum commune. II. Direct recovery and analysis of recombinant nuclei. Genetics 89:685-693.

Gaber,R., and Leonard, T.J.1981. Internuclear gene transfer and specific cell differentiation. Nature 291:342-344.

Leonard, T.J. and S. Dick. 1994. Uncontrolled Growth associated with novel recombination in the fungus Schizophyllum. Bioassays 16

Genetic regulation of aflatoxin biosynthesis in the fungus Aspergillus nidulans:

Brown, D. W., Yu, J.-H., Kelkar, H. S., Fernandes, M., Nesbitt, T. C., Keller, N. P., Adams, T. H., and Leonard, T. J. (1996). Twenty-five co-regulated transcripts define a sterigmatocystin gene cluster in Aspergillus nidulans.. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 93:1418–1422.

Yu, J.-H., Butchko, R. A. E., Fernandes, M., Keller, N. P., Leonard, T. J., and Adams, T.H. (1996). Conservation of structure and function of the aflatoxin regulatory gene aflR from Aspergillus nidulans and A. flavus. Curr. Genet. 29:549–555.

Studies elucidating the basic biology of the morel, Morchella esculenta life cycle:

Volk, T and Leonard, T.J.1989. Cytology of the life cycle of Morchella esculenta. Mycological Research 94:399-406

Volk, T., and Leonard, T.J.1989. Physiological and environmental studies of sclerotiaum formation in Morchella. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 55:3095-3100.

Volk,T and Leonard, T.J. 1989. Experimental studies on the morel. I. Heterokaryon formation between monoascosporous strains of  Morchella.  Mycologia 81:523-531.

Studies of induced cell differentiation and development in Schizophyllum commune:

Leonard, TJ. And S. Dick. 1968. Biochemical induction of haploid fruiting bodies in Schizophyllum commune. Proc. Nat’l Acad. Sci. (USA) 59:745-751.

Leonard, T.J. and J.R. Raper. 1969. Schizophyllum commune: A gene controlling induced haploid fruiting. Science:165:190-192.

Leslie, J.F. and T.J. Leonard. 1979. Three independent genetic systems that control initiation of a fungal fruiting body. Molecular and General Genetics. 171:257-260.

Rusmin, S., and T.J. Leonard. 1975. Biochemical induction of fruiting in Schizophyllum: Isolation and preliminary purification of an inducing substance from Agaricus bisporus mushroom.m Plant Physiology 61:538-543.

Leonard,T.J. 1971. Phenoloxidase activity and fruiting body formation in Schizophyllum commune. J. of Bacteriol. 106:162-167.

Phillips, L.E. and T.J. Leonard. 1976. Extracellular and intracellular phenoloxidase activity during growth and development in Schizophyllum commune. Mycologia 68:268-276.


HONORS AND AWARDS: 

Jonas Clark Scholarship, Clark University, 1958 – 1959

Travelli Scholar, Clark University, 1959-1962

Floyd Fellowship, Indiana University,1963 -

PHS MicrobiologyTraining Grant Fellow, Indiana University, 1964 – 1967

NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship Awardee, Harvard University (Fungal Genetics), 1967 – 1968

Invited to teach Introductory Biology at Harvard University by the Chairman of Biology, 1971

NIH-CNRS French Exchange Fellowship, University of Paris-Orsay (Fungal Genetics Institute), 1982 – 1983

Meritorious Service Award (Wisconsin Association of Educators for the Gifted and Talented), 1987  

Advisory Professorship of Heilongjian University, Harbin, China, 1988

Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1988

The Excellence in Teaching Award, Agricultural & Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1989

Selected Among the Best Professors at the University of Wisconsin (Wisconsin Student Association), 1992

Advising Award of Merit, University of Wisconsin, College of Agricultural & Life Sciences,1992

W.H. Weston Award for Teaching Excellence (Mycological Society of America), 1993

Elected to the University of Wisconsin Teaching Academy, 1994

Outstanding Teaching Award, Clark University, 1998

Mary Despina Lekas Professor (First Endowed Professorship in Biology at Clark University, 2003

Emeritus Professor of Biology, Clark University, Worcester, MA

Emeritus Professor of Genetics and Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison


TEACHING EXPERIENCE:    Courses taught from 1968-2007

Introductory Mycology

Advanced Mycology

Fungal Genetics

Fungal Physiology

Experimental Mycology

Yeasts, Molds and Actinomycetes

General Bacteriology

General Genetics

Biology of Plants 

Genetics of Yeast and Filamentous Fungi    

Introduction to Biology 101

Introductory to Biology 102

Microbiology  

Immunology

Nutrition, Health & Aging