Gene M. Scalarone, Ph.D.
Professor of Microbiology
scalgene@isu.edu
(208) 282-3374
Office/laboratory: Room 322-323 Gale Life Sciences Bldg
Teaching/research areas: General & Medical Microbiology, Immunology, Medical Mycology/ Immunodiagnosis of systemic fungal diseases: Antigen production and evaluation, Antibody and antigen detection methods
Education
BS Biology 1962 Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS
MS Microbiology 1965 University of Oklahoma, Norman. OK
PhD Immunology 1970 University of California, Berkeley, CA
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Scalarone has been a faculty member at ISU since 1980. His interest in medical mycology research began in 1962 as a microbiology graduate student at the University of Oklahoma. After completion of the MS degree in Microbiology, Dr. Scalarone served in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps as Chief of Microbiology at Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco for two years. After obtaining his PhD degree in Immunology in 1970 from the University of California-Berkeley he continued there as a Research Bacteriologist (Naval BIOLciences Laboratory, School of Public Health, UC Berkeley) working on various aspects of fungal immunology. The research included work on the development and evaluation of antigenic reagents for the immunodiagnosis of coccidioidomycosis and histoplasmosis as well as research on fungal vaccines and antifungal agents. In addition to the research D. Scalarone became involved with teaching various microbiology courses at the UC Berkeley Extension Division, San Jose State University and Sonoma State University. Here at ISU he has continued research on the development of improved immunoassays for the clinical diagnosis of blastomycosis and other systemic fungal diseases. Research funding has been obtained from a variety of sources including two major NIH grants which allowed for the development and testing of novel yeast phase lysate antigenic reagents. His work in medical mycology also led to a sabbatical at the Research Center for Pathogenic Fungi and Microbial Toxicoses, Chiba University, Japan. Many undergraduates and over 35 graduate students (MS and PhD recipients) have participated in research in Dr. Scalarone’s laboratory since 1980. His research has resulted in over 175 presentations at regional, national and international scientific meetings as well as over 50 publications in various microbiology and medical mycology journals. Research continues on the development and evaluation of methods for the immunodiagnosis of blastomycosis and other fungal diseases of humans and animals.
Teaching
BIOL 221 Introductory Microbiology
BIOL 451/551 Immunology
BIOL 454/554 Advanced Immunology
BIOL 455/555 Pathogenic Microbiology
BIOL 466/566 Medical Mycology
Representative Publications [* undergraduate student; ** graduate student]
**Shurley, Jack F. and Gene M. Scalarone. 2007. Isoelectric focusing
and ELISA evaluation of a Blastomyces dermatitidis human isolate.
Mycopathologia. 164:73-76.
**Shurley, Jack F. and Gene M. Scalarone. 2007. Comparison of Blastomyces
dermatitidis yeast phase lysate antigens for their use as diagnostic
reagents in the competitive inhibition ELISA for the detection of
blastomycosis. J. Medical and Biological Sciences. 1(2):1-4
*Bybee, Morgen L., *Jenson, Kirt A., *Hayden, James J., *Clark, Summer
D., *Stadelman, Sarah J. and Scalarone, Gene M. 2007. A comparative
evaluation of two enzyme-lined immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for the
detection of Blastomyces dermatitidis and Histoplasma capsulatum antibodies.
Proceedings of the 49th Annual Meeting of the Idaho Academy of Science.
*Ellis, Joshua T., **Shurley, Jack F. and Scalarone, Gene M. 2007.
The use of Blastomyces dermatitidis yeast lysate antigens to stimulate
primary and secondary antibody responses in immunized rabbits. Proceedings
of the 49th Annual Meeting of the Idaho Academy of Science.
*Jensen, Kirt A.,*Bybee, Morgen L., *Hayden, James J., *Clark, Summer
D., *Stadelman, Sarah J. and Scalarone, Gene M. 2007. Immunoassay
detection of Blastomyces dermatitidis antibodies using lysate antigens
prepared from human, animal and environmental isolates. Proceedings
of the 49th Annual Meeting of the Idaho Academy of Science.
*Manzur, Patricio E., *Scalarone, Anne R. and Scalarone, Gene M. 2007.
Evaluation of the incubation parameters of an enzyme immunoassay for
the detection of Blastomyces dermatitidis antibodies. Proceedings
of the 49th Annual Meeting of the Idaho Academy of Science.
*Scalarone, Anne R., Scalarone, *Geoffrey M. and Scalarone, Gene M.
2007. Detection of antibodies in dogs with blastomycosis: Comparative
studies using yeast lysate antigens prepared from isolates of Blastomyces
dermatitidis from a Minnesota outbreak. Proceedings of the 49th Annual
Meeting of the Idaho Academy of Science.
**Sestero, C.M. and G.M. Scalarone. 2006. Detection of the surface
BAD1 and alpha (1,3)-glucan in six different strains of Blastomyces
dermatitidis using monoclonal antibodies. J. Medical and Biological
Sciences. 1:1-7.
*Scalarone, G.M., *A.R. Scalarone and G.M. Scalarone. 2006. Detection
of antibodies to Blastomyces dermatitidis with yeast lysate antigens
produced from human isolates from a Minnesota outbreak. Absracts of
the 46th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
(ICAAC), San Francisco, CA.
**Sestero. C.M. and G.M. Scalarone. 2006. Detection of IgG and IgM
in sera from canines with blastomycosis using eight Blastomyces dermatitidis
yeast phase lysate antigens. Mycopathologia. 162:33-37.
**Shurley, J.F., A.M. Legendre and G.M. Scalarone. 2005. Blastomyces
dermatitidis antigen detection in urine specimens from dogs with blastomycosis
using a competitive binding inhibition ELISA. Mycopathologia. 160(2):137-142.
**Abuodeh, R.O., *E.M. Chester and G.M. Scalarone, 2004. Comparative
serological evaluation of 10 Blastomyces dermatitidis yeast phase
lysate antigens from different sources. Mycoses 47:143-149.
*Chester, E.M., **R.C. Axtell and G.M. Scalarone. 2003. Blastomyces
dermatitidis lysate antigens: Antibody detection in serial serum specimens
from dogs with blastomysosis. Mycopathologia 156/4:1-6.
*Chester, E.M. and G.M. Scalarone. 2003. Comparative studies with
Blastomyces dermatitidis lysate antigens for antibody detection in
immunized rabbits. Proceedings of NCUR (17th National Conference on
Undergradute Research).
**Abuodeh, Raed O., John Galgiani and Gene M. Scalarone. 2002. Molecular
approaches to the study of Coccidioides immitis. Int. J. Med. Microbiol.
292:373-380.
*Axtell, R.C. and G.M. Scalarone. 2002. Serological differences in
three Blastomyces dermatitidis isolates. Mycoses 45:1-6.
**Roomiany, P.L., **R.C. Axtell and G.M. Scalarone. 2002. Comparison
of seven Blastomyces dermatitidis antigens for the detection of antibodies
in humans with occupationally acquired blastomycosis. Mycoses 46:1-5.
**Axtell, R.C. and G.M. Scalarone. 2002. Serological differences in
two Blastomyces dermatitidis isolates from different geographical
regions of North America. Mycopathologia 153:141-144.
**Bono, J.L., **B. Jaber, **M.A. Fisher, **R.O. Abuodeh, E. O'Leary-Jepson,
G.M. Scalarone and L.H. Smith. 2001. Genetic diversity and transcriptional
analysis of the bys 1 gene from Blastomyces dermatitidis. Mycopathologia
152:113-123.
*Reardon, C.L. and G.M. Scalarone. 2001. Stability studies on Blastomyces
dermatitidis yeast lysate antigens for the immunodiagnosis of blastomycosis.
Proceedings of NCUR (15th National Conference on Undergraduate Research).
**Wakamoto, A., **R.O. Abuodeh and G.M. Scalarone. 1997. Comparative
studies on the detection of antibodies and delayed hypersensitivity
responses with ten Blastomyces dermatitidis yeast lysate antigens.
Mycoses 40:147-152.
**Bono, J.L., A.M. Legendre and G.M. Scalarone. 1995. Detection of
antibodies and delayed hypersensitivity with Rotofor® preparative
IEF fractions of Blastomyces dermatitidis yeast phase lysate antigen.
Journal of Medical and Veterinary Mycology 33: 209-214.
**Fisher, M.A., **J.L. Bono, **R.O. Abuodeh, A.M. Legendre and G.M.
Scalarone. 1995. Sensitivity and specificity of an isoelectric focusing
fraction of Blastomyces dermatitidis yeast lysate antigen for the
detection of canine blastomycosis. Mycoses 38:177-182.
Scalarone, G.M., A.M. Legendre, K.A. Clark and K. Pusateri. 1992.
Evaluation of a commercial DNA probe assay for the identification
of clinical isolates of Blastomyces dermatitidis from dogs. Journal
of Medical and Veterinary Mycology 30:43-49.
Scalarone, G.M., Y. Mikami, N. Kurita, K. Yazawa and M. Miyaji. 1992.
Comparative studies on the postantifungal effect produced by the synergistic
interaction of flucytosine and amphotericin B on Candida albicans.
Mycopathologia 120:133-138.
**Seawell, B.W. and G.M. Scalarone. 1990. Comparison of enzyme immunoassay
and immunodiffusion for the detection of canine blastomycosis. Mycoses
33:375-381.
**Wheeler, J.Y., **R.D. Owens and G.M. Scalarone. 1988. Enzyme immunoassay
detection of antibodies in blastomycosis: Comparison of three Blastomyces
dermatitidis antigens. Mycoses 31:459-465.
**Johnson, S.M. and G.M. Scalarone. 1988. Preparation and ELISA evaluation
of Blastomyces dermatitidis yeast phase lysate antigens. Diagnostic
Microbiology and Infectious Diseases 11:81-86.