Ted Gries

Department of Chemistry
Beloit College
Beloit WI 53511 USA

(608) 363-2284
FAX: (608) 363-2052
EMAIL: griest@beloit.edu

Education and Experience:

2013 – present	Biochemistry Program Chair, Beloit College
2011 – present	Assistant Professor Chemistry, Beloit College Courses: DNA and Protein Biochemistry, 2011- 2015 General Chemistry, 2012 – 2015 Nutrition and Metabolism: Biochemical Mechanisms, 2013 – 2015 Thermodynamics and Kinetics, 2015 Biochemistry of Metabolism, 2012 UP: A Natural History of Flying, 2013 What is Sex For?, 2015 Social, Environmental, and Scientific Entrepreneurship, 2014 From Crime Scene to Courtroom: The CSI Effect, 2012
2010 – present	Honorary Fellow, University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Biochemistry, Dr. M. T. Record, Jr. Laboratory
2010 – 2011	Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Beloit College Courses: General Chemistry, 2010, 2011 Biochemistry of Macromolecules, 2010 Biochemistry of Metabolism, 2011
2010	Ph.D., Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison Dissertation: Characterizing Transient Intermediates during Stable, Open Complex Formation by E. coli RNA Polymerase.
2005 – 2010	Graduate Research Assistant, University of Wisconsin-Madison Advisor: Dr. M. Thomas Record, Jr.
2007 – 2009	Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Wisconsin-Madison Courses: Introduction to Biochemistry, 2008 Biophysical Thermodynamics and Kinetics, 2007 – 2009
2006 – 2008	Peer-Mentor-Tutor Graduate Director, University of Wisconsin-Madison Course: Introduction to Biochemistry
2004 – 2005	Research Associate, Indiana University Advisor: Dr. Thomas Tolbert
2004	B.S., Biochemistry, Indiana University Thesis: Towards the Characterization of the Rad50 Coiled Coil Domain
2004	Associate Instructor, Indiana University Course: Biochemistry Laboratory, 2004
2003 – 2004	Undergraduate Researcher, Indiana University Advisor: Dr. Martha Oakley

Publications:
Young, KM and Gries TJ. (2015). Studying Cooperative Ligand Binding in the Undergraduate Biochemistry Laboratory: Oxygen-Hemoglobin Dissociation Revisited. Journal of Chemical Education 92: 2173-2175.

Drennan, AC; Kraemer, M; Capp, MW; Gries, TJ; Ruff, E; Sheppard, C; Wigneshweraraj, SR; Artsimovitch, I; Saecker, RM; and Record, MT, Jr. (2012). Key Roles of the Downstream Mobile Jaw of Escherichia coli RNA Polymerase in Transcription Initiation. Biochemistry 51: 9447-59.

Activities in Mernitz, H; Anthony, S; and Braun K. (2012). ChemConnection Activity Workbook (the Textbook). New York: W. W. Norton and Company, Inc.:

Gries, TJ. How does oxygen get to my muscles? pp. 11-12.
Gries, TJ. What is in my blood? pp. 39-42.
Gries, TJ and Mernitz, H. What are the building blocks of life? pp. 277-288.
Gries, TJ. How does a nuclear reactor work? pp. 289-291.
Gries, TJ. When did you live? pp. 293-295.

Gries, TJ; Kontur, WS; Capp, MW; Saecker, RM; and Record, MT, Jr. (2010). One-step DNA melting in the RNA polymerase cleft opens the initiation bubble to form an unstable open complex. Proc Natl Acad Sci (USA) 107: 10418-23.

Gries, TJ; Kontur, WS; Capp, MW; Saecker, RM; and Record, MT, Jr. (2010). Probing DNA binding, DNA opening and assembly of a downstream clamp/jaw in E. coli RNA polymerase-lPR promoter complexes using salt and the physiological anion glutamate. Biochemistry 49: 4361-73.

Schroeder, LA; Gries, TJ; Saecker, RM; Record, MT, Jr.; Harris, ME; and DeHaseth, PL (2009). Evidence for a tyrosine-adenine stacking interaction and for a short-lived open intermediate subsequent to initial binding of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase to promoter DNA. Journal of Molecular Biology 385: 339-49.

Honors, Awards, Fellowships, and Service:
Reviewer for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (2015)
Reviewer for The Undergraduate Mathematics and Its Applications Journal
Beta of Wisconsin Vice President (2012 – present)
William R. and Dorothy E. Sullivan Distinguished Graduate Fellowship (2008-2010)
Graduated with Indiana University Chemistry Department Honors (2004)
Graduated with Indiana University College of Arts and Sciences Distinction (2004)
Phi Beta Kappa (2003)
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Capstone Award (2003)

Presentations and Workshops:
Attended Chemistry Collaborations, Workshops & Communities of Scholars (cCWCS) Faculty Workshop on Mitochondrial Biochemistry at the University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR (July 2015)

Gries, T.J. (2014). Heat Engines. Talk presented during the Science of Climate Change Series as part of the Miller Upton Forum at Beloit College.

Young, M.K.M. and Gries, T.J. (2014). A Method to Study Cooperative Binding of Oxygen to Purified Hemoglobin Protein. Poster presented at the Midstates Science and Math Consortium Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Biological Sciences and Psychology at the University of Chicago.

Gries, T.J. (2014). Urea as a Probe of Protein Conformation during Enzyme-Catalyzed Mechanisms. Talk presented during the Beloit Science Fridays Series at Beloit College.

Wieseman, L. and Gries, T.J. (2013). Urea as a Probe for Conformational Changes during the Reaction Catalyzed by 6-Phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase. Poster presented at the Midstates Science and Math Consortium Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Physical Sciences, Math, and Computer Science at the University of Chicago.

Gries, T.J.; Carner, Z.J.; Gandara-Barron, O.A.; Garcia, M.R.; Grimmelbein, L.J.; Harding, N.; Hauptfleisch, M.R.; Herendeen, S.M.; Kirsch, A.M.; Kraemer, S.M.; Manthe, J.M.; Murray, M.S.; Ndoci, X.G.; Pratt, L.N.; Waddle, E.J.; Wallace, M.S.; and Xie, Z. (2013). Wings of the Worlds. Exhibit curated and presented in the Logan Museum of Anthropology at Beloit College.

Attended Chemistry Collaborations, Workshops & Communities of Scholars (cCWCS) Faculty Workshop on Food Chemistry at Clarke University, Dubuque, IA (July 2013)

Lownik, J.C. and Gries, T.J. (2013). Solute Studies on E. coli Alkaline Phosphatase. Poster presented at the Experimental Biology 2013 Conference.

Attended Council on undergraduate Research (CUR) Dialogues at Hamilton Crown Plaza, Washington, DC (February 2013).

Gries, T.J. (2012). Is my soil poisoned with lead? Talk presented at the SENCER Midwest Symposium at Beloit College.

Lownik, J.C. and Gries, T.J. (2012). Solute Studies on E. coli Alkaline Phosphatase. Poster presented at the Midstates Science and Math Consortium Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Biological Sciences and Psychology at the University of Chicago.

Attended Wisconsin Pre-Med/Pre-Health Advisor Conference at Marquette University (May 2012).

Gries, TJ; Drennan, AC; Heitkamp, S; Bellissimo, D; Capp, MW; Saecker, RM; and Record, MT, Jr. (2012). Fast Hydroxyl-radical and Permanganate DNA Footprinting of Transcription Initiation Intermediates at the lPR Promoter. Poster presented at the 56th Annual Biophysical Society Meeting.

Moderated Session on Astronomical Science at the 2011 Undergraduate Research Symposium at the University of Chicago (November 2011).

Facilitated Session entitled How to build a raspberry nanocrystalline solar cell at the Midwestern Association of Chemistry Teachers at Liberal Arts Colleges (October 2011).

Attended Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) Workshop at Northwestern University (September 2011).

Attended New Faculty Workshop for Midstates Consortium for Math and Science at Hope College (July 2011).

Gries, TJ. (2011). Is the White Whale’s Mouth Open? A how-to guide for trapping and characterizing transient intermediates of transcription initiation using solutes. Talk presented at Beloit College.

Gries, TJ; Kontur, WS; Capp, MW; Saecker, RM; and Record, MT, Jr. (2010). DNA Opening During Bacterial Transcription Initiation. Poster presented at the 54th Annual Biophysical Society Meeting.

Gries, TJ. (2010). Using Kinetics and Solutes to Study an Enzyme Mechanism: E. coli RNA Polymerase Transcription Bubble Formation. Talk presented at Beloit College

Gries, TJ; Kontur, WS; Capp, MW; Davis, CA; Drennan, AC; Saecker, RM; and Record, MT, Jr. (2009). Rapid-Quench Mixing and Use of Fast Footprinting to Characterize Late Steps during Open Complex Formation at lPR by E. coli RNA Polymerase. Talk presented at the Molecular Genetics of Bacteria & Phages Conference.

Gries, TJ; Kontur, WS; Capp, MW; Davis, CA; Drennan, AC; Saecker, RM; and Record, MT, Jr. (2009). Rapid-Quench Mixing and Use of Fast Footprinting to Characterize Late Steps during Open Complex Formation at lPR by E. coli RNA Polymerase. Poster presented at the Mechanisms and Regulation of Prokaryotic Transcription FASEB Summer Research Conference.

Gries, TJ; Kontur, WS; Capp, MW; Saecker, RM; and Record, MT, Jr. (2009). Rapid-Quench Mixing and Use of Fast Footprinting to Characterize Late Steps during Open Complex Formation at lPR by E. coli RNA Polymerase. Poster presented at the 53rd Annual Biophysical Society Meeting.

Gries, TJ; Kontur, WS; Capp, MW; Davis, CA; Drennan, AC; Saecker, RM; and Record, MT, Jr. (2008). Characterization of Late Steps during Open Complex Formation at lPR by E. coli RNA Polymerase. Poster presented at the 22nd Annual Gibbs Conference on Biothermodynamics.

Gries, TJ; Kontur, WS; Capp, MW; Davis, CA; Saecker, RM; and Record, MT, Jr. (2007). Probing Transcription Initiation by Investigating the Effects of Small Solutes on the Kinetics of Open Complex Formation. Poster presented at the Mechanisms and Regulation of Prokaryotic Transcription FASEB Summer Research Conference.