Troy Ott, PhD
- Associate Professor of Reproductive Physiology
University Park, PA 16802
Education:
- Post-doc, 1992-98, Center for Animal Biotechnology, Texas A&M University
- Ph.D., 1992, University of Florida
- M.S., 1988, Auburn University
- B.S., 1984, The Pennsylvania State University
Biography:
Professional Experience
(2004-2006); Associate Professor, Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho.
Affiliate Faculty (7/04 – 06); Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.
Affiliate Faculty (9/04- 06): Department of Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of Idaho, Moscow.
Assistant Professor (6/98-6/04): Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho.
Research Scientist (11/95-5/98): Center for Animal Biotechnology, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University.
Assistant Research Scientist (5/92-11/95): Center for Animal Biotechnology, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University.
Research
Molecular Reproductive Biology/Animal Biotechnology
Early embryonic mortality in livestock occurs at a rate of 30-40 percent in cattle, sheep and swine, and exceeds 50 percent in horses. It is also a significant problem in human reproductive medicine. Study of factors produced by the early placenta led to the discovery of a novel class of interferon, interferon-tau, which is the signal for maternal recognition of pregnancy in domestic ruminants.
The primary focus of research in the lab is the molecular mechanisms regulating fertility and infertility in domestic farm animals. A secondary focus is on regulation of the innate arm of the mucosal immune system of the female reproductive tract. In both cases the lab has basic (mechanistic) research projects and applied (translational) research interests.
Relative to the former, research is ongoing to characterize the function of members of the interferon stimulated gene family in establishment and maintenance of pregnancy in ruminants. We are approaching this using a host of molecular technologies including yeast 2-hybrid screening, RNA interference, plasmid-mediated protein over-expression and promoter-reporter assays to characterize the expression and function of members of this gene family in the uterus, ovary and peripheral blood immune cells. The second research focus area is regulation of the mucosal immune system in the female reproductive tract. This research area developed as a consequence of our increased understanding of the expression of interferon stimulated genes in the uterus and their potential regulation by steroid hormones. The basic focus of this work is to understand how steroid hormones, principally progesterone, modulate the innate arm of the mucosal immune system in the female reproductive tract.
