Bridget Wessa

Bridget Wessa
Staff Research Associate
Jepson Herbarium
1001 Valley Life Sciences Bldg., # 2465 Berkeley, CA 94720-2465

Lab Manager for:
The Baldwin Integrative Biology Pre-PCR Lab 1129 Valley Life Science Building & the
Molecular Phylogenetics Laboratory (the MPL) 1123/1125 Valley Life Sciences Building
(a shared PCR & pre-sequencing facility between the UCMP and the Herbaria)
Email: bridge_@berkeley.edu

I received my bachelor of art's in bacteriology from the University of California at Davis in 1984 and began a career in research which has included working with molecular biology, insect cell culture, protein chemistry and pathology for the biotechnology industry and for grant funded research positions. In 1993 I earned a professional clear secondary level teaching credential in Life Science and Chemistry from Sonoma State University.

I have been a staff research associate for the Jepson Curator, Dr. Bruce Baldwin, since 1995. I am responsible for all stages of providing data for phylogenetic analysis: DNA extraction, PCR amplification, sequence and data organization. Besides generating data for Dr. Baldwin's research I manage two molecular labs and train undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in our molecular techniques and other protocols pertinent to phylogenetics.

Recreational interests: When I'm not in the labs, I enjoy the lovely SF Bay Area, spending time with friends, gardening, photography and hanging out with my cats.

Publications:

Armbruster, W. S., Mulder, C. P. H., Baldwin, B. G., Kalisz, S., Wessa, B., and Nute, H. 2002
Comparative analysis of late floral development and mating-system evolution in tribe Collinsieae (Scrophulariaceae s. l.). American Journal of Botany 89: 37-49.
Baldwin, B. G., Wessa, B. L., and Panero, J. 2002
Nuclear rDNA evidence for major lineages of helenioid Heliantheae (Compositae). Systematic Botany 27: 161-198.
Baldwin, B. G., Preston, R. E., Wessa, B. L., and Wetherwax, M. 2001
A biosystematic and phylogenetic assessment of sympatric taxa in Blepharizonia (Compositae--Madiinae). Systematic Botany 26: 184-194
Baldwin, B. G. and Wessa, B. L. 2000
Origin and relationships of the tarweed-silversword lineage (Compositae-Madiinae). American Journal of Botany 87: 1890-1908
Baldwin, B. G. and Wessa, B. L. 2000
Phylogenetic placement of Pelucha and new subtribes in Helenieae sensu stricto (Compositae). Systematic Botany 25: 522-538
Baldwin, B.G. and Wessa, B.L. 1997
Origin of Madiinae and Dimeresia from within Chaenactidinae (Asteraceae). American Journal of Botany 84: 176-177
Baldwin, B.G., Armbruster, W. Scott, and Wessa, B.L. 1996
Molecular evidence for independent origins of similar pollination systems and inflorescence architectures in New World and Madagascar Dalechampia (Euphorbiaceae). American Journal of Botany 83: 139
Baldwin, B.G., Kyhos, D.W., Martens, S.N., Vasek, F.C., and Wessa, B.L. 1996
Natural hybridization between species of Ambrosia and Hymenoclea salsola (Compositae). Madroño 43: 15-27.
Naggert, J., A. Witkowski, B. Wessa. 1991.
Expression in Escherichia coli, purification and characterization of two mammalian thioesterases involved in fatty acid synthesis. Biochemical Journal 273: 787-790.
Witkowski, A., J. Naggert, B. Wessa, S. Smith. 1991.
A Catalytic Role of Histidine 237 in Rat Mammary Gland Thioesterase II. Journal of Biological Chemistry 266: 18514-18519.