Lee Hughes

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Hughes Lab

Dr. Hughes is Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies in the College of Science and an associate professor of biology at the University of North Texas (UNT). He has a bachelor's degree in English, a master's degree in Biology, and a doctorate in Microbiology, all from UNT. He conducts both microbiology and science education research. Dr. Hughes focuses on early research experiences for biology majors and serves as director for UNT's Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (PHAGES) program, an affiliate of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science Education Alliance. His research laboratory focuses on the isolation of novel bacterial viruses, known as bacteriophages, that infect the genus Streptomyces.

CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Bacteriophages infecting Streptomyces
• Diversity of phages across multiple species
• Examination of genetic elements and gene products of phage isolates
• Biology Education Research
• Undergraduate Research Experiences
• Supporting undergraduate and graduate student training

FOR PROSPECTIVE GRADUATE STUDENTS

Apply to the Graduate Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Apply to the Graduate Program in BIology

CURRENT GRANT-FUNDED PROJECTS

• National Institutes of Health, Graduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (G-RISE, T32), "G-RISE at UNT" (Pamela Padilla PI. Warren Burggren and Lee Hughes, Co-PIs). May 2021-April 2026.

RECENT SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS

1. Nath, S., Sulaiman, A., Maneekul, J., Bhuiyan, S., Layton, S., Menchaca, C., Nayek, S., Acosta, J., Coronado, A., Drake, A., Eastland, I., Gallegos, M., Gutierrez-Langa, M., Jefferson, N., Johnson, K., Klokker, E., Muniz, M., Hernandez Olmos, D., Pascarella, G., Richardson, T., Setliff, T., Stiles, A.N., Sun, E., Tokel, M., Vondra, J.M., and L.E. Hughes. 2022. Complete Genome Sequences of the Novel Cluster BP Phages Infecting Streptomyces sanglieri, AxeJC, Cumberbatch, Eastland, Eklok, HFrancette, Ignacio, Piccadilly, and Vondra. Microbiology Resource Announcements, https://doi.org/10.1128/mra.00751-22.
2. Hanauer, D. I., Graham, M. J., Arnold, R. J., Ayuk, M. A., Balish, M. F., Beyer, A. R., Butela, K. A., Byrum, C. A., Chia, C. P., Chung, H. M., Clase, K. L., Conant, S., Coomans, R. J., D'Elia, T., Diaz, J., Diaz, A., Doty, J. A., Edgington, N. P., Edwards, D. C., Eivazova, E., Emmons, C. B., Fast, K. M., Fisher, E. J., Fleischacker, C. L., Frederick, G. D., Freise, A. C., Gainey, M. D., Gissendanner, C. R., Golebiewska, U. P., Guild, N. A., Hendrickson, H. L., Herren, C. D., Hopson-Fernandes, M. S., Hughes, L. E., Jacobs-Sera, D., Johnson, A. A., Kirkpatrick, B. L., Klyczek, K. K., Koga, A. P., Kotturi, H., LeBlanc-Straceski, J., Lee-Soety, J. Y., Leonard, J. E., Mastropaolo, M. D., Merkhofer, E. C., Michael, S. F., Mitchell, J. C., Mohan, S., Monti, D. L., Noutsos, C., Nsa, I. Y., Peters, N. T., Plymale, R., Pollenz, R. S., Porter, M. L., Rinehart, C. A., Rosas-Acosta, G., Ross, J. F., Rubin, M. R., Scherer, A. E., Schroeder, S. C., Shaffer, C. D., Sprenkle, A. B., Sunnen, C. N., Swerdlow, S. J., Tobiason, D., Tolsma, S. S., Tsourkas, P. K., Ward, R. E., Ware, V. C., Warner, M. H., Washington, J. M., Westover, K. M., White, S. J., Whitefleet-Smith, J. L., Williams, D. C., Wolyniak, M. J., Zeilstra-Ryalls, J. H., Asai, D. J., Hatfull, G. F., and V. Sivanathan. 2022. Instructional Models for Course-Based Research Experience (CRE) Teaching. CBE life sciences education, 21(1), ar8. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.21-03-0057.
3. Ramsey, J., McIntosh, B., Renfro, D., Aleksander, S.A., LaBonte, S., Ross, C., Zweifel, A.E., Liles, N., Farrar, S., Gill, J.J., Erill, I., Ades, S., Berardini, T.Z., Bennett, J.A., Brady, S., Britton, R., Carbon, S., Caruso, S.M., Clements, D., Dalia, R., Defelice, M., Doyle, E.L, Friedberg, I., Gurney, S.M.R., Hughes, L., Johnson, A., Kowalski, J.M., Li, D., Lovering, R.C., Mans, T.L., McCarthy, F., Moore, S.D., Murphy, R., Paustian, T.D., Perdue, S., Peterson, C.N., Prüß, B.M., Saha, M.S., Sheehy, R.R., Tansey, J.T., Temple, L., Thorman, A.W., Trevino, S., Cheng Vollmer, A., Walbot, V., Willey, J., Siegele, D.A., and J.C. Hu. 2021. Crowdsourcing biocuration: the Community Assessment of Community Annotation with Ontologies (CACAO). PLOS Computational Biology 17(10), e1009463. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009463.
4. Jacobs-Sera, D., Abad, L.A., Alvey, R.M., Anders, K.R., Aull, H.G., Bhalla, S.S., Blumer, L.S., Bollivar, D.W., Bonilla, J.A., Butela, K.A., Coomans, R.J., Cresawn, S.G., D'Elia, T., Diaz, A., Divens, A.M., Edgington, N.P., Frederick, G.D., Gainey, M.D., Garlena, R.A., Grant, K.W., Gurney, S.M.R., Hendrickson, H.L., Hughes, L.E., Kenna, M.A., Klyczek, K.K., Kotturi, H., Mavrich, T.N., McKinney, A.L., Merkhofer, E.C., Moberg Parker, J., Molloy, S.D., Monti, D.L., Pape-Zambito, D.A., Pollenz, R.S., Pope, W.H., Reyna, N.S., Rinehart, C.A., Russell, D.A., Shaffer, C.D., Sivanathan, V., Stoner, T.H., Stukey, J., Sunnen, C.N., Tolsma, S.S., Tsourkas, P.K., Wallen, J.R., Ware, V.C., Warner, M.H., Washington, J.M., Westover, K.M., Whitefleet-Smith, J.L., Wiersma-Koch, H.I., Williams, D.C., Zack, K.M., and G.F. Hatfull. 2020. Genomic diversity of bacteriophages infecting Microbacterium spp. PLOS ONE 15(6), e0234636. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234636.
5. Premraj, D., Thompson, R., Hughes, L., and J. Adams. 2019. Key Factors Influencing Retention Rates Among Historically Underrepresented Students Groups in STEM Fields. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory, & Practice. https://doi.org/10.1177/1521025119848763.
6. Klyczek, K., Jacobs-Sera, D., Adair, T., Adams, S., Ball, S., Benjamin, R., Bonilla, J., Breitenberger, C., Daniels, C., Gaffney, B., Harrison, M, Hughes, L., King, R., Krukonis, G., Lopez, A., Monsen-Collar, K., Pizzorno, M., Rinehart, C., SEA-PHAGES, PHIRE Program, Staples, A., Stowe, E., Garlena, R., Russell, D., Cresawn, S., Pope, W., and G. Hatfull. 2018. Complete Genome Sequences of 44 Arthrobacter Phages. Genome Announcements 6(5), e01474-17. https://doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.01474-17.
7. Hughes, L.E., Shaffer, C.D., Ware, V.C., Aguayo, I., Aziz, R.M., Bhuiyan, S., Bindert, I.S., Calovich-Benne, C.K., Chapman, J., Donegan-Quick, R., Farooq, A., Garcia, C., Graham, L.H., Green, B.Y., Kenna, M.A., Kneeream, E.R., Laing, C.E., Mageeney, C.M., Meridew, S.N., Mikolon, A.R., Morgan, R.E., Nayek, S., Olugbade, I.D., Pike, K.C., Schlegel, L.E., Shishido, T.C., Suresh, T., Suri, N., Weston Hafer, K., Garlena, R.A., Russell, D.A., Cresawn, S.G., Pope, W.H., Jacobs-Sera, D., and G.F. Hatfull. 2018. Eight Genome Sequences of Cluster BE1 Phages isolated on Streptomyces. Genome Announcements 6:e01146-17. https://doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.01146-17.
8. Hanauer, D.I., Graham, M.J., SEA-PHAGES1, Betancur, L., Bobrownicki, A., Cresawn, S.G., Garlena, R.A., Jacobs-Sera, D., Kaufmann, N., Pope, W.H., Russell, D.A., Jacobs, W.R., Sivanathan, V., Asai, D.J., and G.F. Hatfull. 2017. An Inclusive Research-Education Community (iREC): Impact of the SEA-PHAGES program on research outcomes and student learning. PNAS 114(51), 13531-13536. www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1718188115.
9. Briggs, A.G., Hughes, L.E., Brennan, R.E., Buchner, J., Horak, R.E.A., Katz Amburn, D.S., McDonald, A.H., Primm, T.P., Smith, A.C., Stevens, A.M., Yung, S.B., and T.D. Paustian. 2017. Concept Inventory Development Reveals Common Student Misconceptions about Microbiology. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education 18(3), doi:10.1128/jmbe.v18i3.1319.
10. Paustian, T.D., Briggs, A.G., Brennan, R.E., Boury, N., Buchner, J., Harris, S., Horak, R.E.A., Hughes, L.E., Katz-Amburn, D.S., Massimelli, M.J., McDonald, A.H., Primm, T.P., Smith, A.C., Stevens, A.M., and S.B. Yung. 2017. Development, Validation, and Application of the Microbiology Concept Inventory. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education 18(3), doi:10.1128/jmbe.v18i3.1320.