Larry D. Farrell, Ph.D.
Professor of Microbiology
farrlarr@isu.edu
(208) 282-3171
Room 416 Gale Life Sciences Bldg
Microbial Genetics Laboratory
Microbial Genetics, Bacterial Virology, Shiga Toxin-Producing Bacteria, HIV/AIDS
Education
B.S., 1964, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
M.S., 1966, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
Ph.D., 1970, University of California, Los Angeles, California
Postdoc, 1970-1972, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Farrell has been at ISU since 1972. He developed an interest in bacterial viruses (phages) while completing undergraduate work at the University of Oklahoma (1960-1064) and began to investigate phages of Bacillus subtilis during his M.S. program at OU (1964-1966). He continued that area of research during his doctoral program at UCLA with Dr. Bob Romig (1966-1970). During his postdoctoral training at the University of Illinois College of Medicine with Dr. Harvard Reiter (1970-1972), he worked on the interactions of antibiotics, membrane components and DNA, using phage T4/Escherichia coli as a model system. Since coming to ISU, he has continued his work on phages, spending several years developing the genomic sequence of SN1, a phage that infects Sphaerotilus natans. Recently, he entered a collaboration with several other members of the departmental faculty that is investigating the horizontal transfer of pathogenicity genes, specifically the Shiga toxin genes encoded by lambda-like phages, from Escherichia coli O157:H7 to other strains of E. coli as well as to other unrelated bacteria. He is also continuing collaborations with other faculty members, investigating phages from extreme environments (both hot and cold), evaluating antimicrobial components produced by burying beetles, and studying the effects of radiation on phages.
Dr. Farrell has also been very active in HIV/AIDS education throughout the Intermountain region. He is a member of the Idaho HIV/AIDS Care and Prevention Council, having served on that council since its inception in 1993. He teaches a popular AIDS course each semester. In 2005, he was one of ten people in the United States recognized as an Outstanding Prevention Educator in TheBody.com’s HIV Leadership Awards program.
Teaching
BIOL 369, AIDS
BIOL g465, Microbial Genetics
BIOL g467, Microbial Genetics Lab
BIOL g475, General Virology
BIOL g477, Bacterial Virology Lab
BIOL 481/482, Independent Problems
BIOL 491/492, Senior Seminar
BIOL 610, Principles of Molecular Biology
Publications
RS Gerrish, JE Lee, J Reed, J Williams, LD Farrell, KM Spiegel, PP Sheridan, MS Shields. "PCR versus hybridization for detecting virulence genes of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli." Emerging Infectious Diseases 13:1253-1255. 2007.
JE Lee, J Reed, MS Shields, KM Spiegel, LD Farrell, PP Sheridan. "Phylogenetic analysis of Shiga toxin and Shiga toxin 2 genes associated with disease outbreaks." in press BMC Microbiology.
Campbell, C., R. R. Brey, L. Farrell, J. F. Harmon and T. F. Gesell. 2003. Investigation of the Dose Rate Response of the T4 Bacteriophage in Aqueous Solution. Proceedings of the 48th Annual Meeting of the Health Physics Society. San Diego, CA.
Wadsworth, N. and L. Farrell. 2003. Inhibitory Nature of Burying Beetle Secretions. Proceedings of the 84th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Division of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. San Francisco, CA.
Marlow, K., R. Brey, L. Farrell, F. Harmon and R. Spall. 1997. Investigations of Radiation Doses Lethal to Virus Populations. Journal of the Idaho Academy of Science 33:21. AND 1998, Proceedings of the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Health Physics Society, San Antonio, TX.
Girvan, J. T. and L. D. Farrell. 1995. HIV/AIDS curriculum implementation in rural schools: Barriers and successes. In, A. O. Alali (Ed.), HIV and AIDS in the Public Schools: A Handbook. McFarland, Jefferson, North Carolina.