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Scott Nichols

Scott Nichols

Associate Professor

scott.nichols@du.edu

303-871-5658 (Office)

https://scottnicholslab.weebly.com

Personal

Seeley G. Mudd Building, 2101 E. Wesley Ave. Denver, CO 80208

What I do

Scott Nichols is an Associate Professor of Evolutionary Cell Biology in the Department of Biological Sciences. The Nichols lab uses sponges to study the cellular foundations of early animal evolution. Two primary areas of focus are: 1) cell adhesion and the origins of mucosal epithelial tissues, and 2) innate immune mechanisms that regulate interactions with bacteria.

Specialization(s)

evolution, cell biology, invertebrates, Symbiosis, Immunity

Professional Biography

Dr. Nichols earned his BS in Biological Sciences in Marine Biology at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, his PhD in Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and was an American Cancer Society postdoctoral fellow in Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Degree(s)

  • Ph.D., Integrative Biology, University of California, 2004
  • BS, Marine Biology, University of North Carolina, 1998

Research

Current projects include: 1) the evolution of epithelial organization and the origin of cell adhesion/polarity complexes, 2) the evolution of cellular mechanisms for microbial recognition and response. Our research centers around the belief that curiosity-driven, fundamental research is key to innovation and discovery. ​

Areas of Research

evolution
Cell Biology
symbiosis
immunity

Key Projects

  • Towards an integrative model of cell adhesion and self-recognition in sponge (Porifera) tissues
  • Evolution of a Multi-Functional Adhesion Module Necessary for Complex Multicellularity
  • Marie Curie Fellowship - Sponse Signaling - Using sponges as a model to examine the evolutionof the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway

Featured Publications

Asensio, C., & Nichols, S. A. (2024). Proteomic analysis of the sponge Aggregation Factor implicates an ancient toolkit for allorecognition and adhesion in animals. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ., 121(52).
Miller, P., Pokutta, S., Mitchell, J., Chodaparambil, J., Clarke, N., Nelson, J., et al. (2018). Analysis of a vinculin homolog in a sponge (phylum Porifera) reveals that vertebrate-like cell adhesions emerged early in animal evolution. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 293(30), 11674-11686.
Nichols, S. A., Roberts, B. W., Richter, D. J., Fairclough, S. R., & King, N. (2012). Origin of metazoan cadherin diversity and the antiquity of the classical cadherin/?-catenin complex. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 109(32), 13046-13051.
Nichols, S. A., Dirks, W., Pearse, J. S., & King, N. (2006). Early evolution of animal cell signaling and adhesion genes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A., 103(33), 12451-12456.