Jodi L. Connell
Postdoctoral Fellow
Research InterestsI am interested in developing analytical tools and methods to probe clinically important bacterial interactions. Understanding how social behaviors and microscale spatial arrangement allow bacteria to adapt in response to environmental factors within physiologically relevant population sizes is critical to recognizing how small aggregates can effectively seed an infection. One aspect of my work in the Whiteley Lab focuses on using a gelatin-based micro-3D printing technique to build customized bacterial “microtraps” for confining and culturing individual cells and small populations of bacteria. In specific, I am interested in using this versatile technology to explore how Pseudomonas aeruginosa behavior changes in response to environmental conditions, such as increasing cell density and the presence of other species, at the microscale level. In addition to creating in vitro models that reflect the localized chemical, biological, and physical complexities of in vivo microenvironments, I am also working in collaboration with Prof. Allen Bard’s group using SECM as a real-time probe for metabolite production and O2 consumption within confined microcolonies in vitro.
About Jodi
After graduating from high school in Yarmouth, ME in 2002, I went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree with high honors in Chemistry and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Hispanic Studies in 2006 from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY. In the fall of 2006, I enrolled in the Analytical Chemistry graduate program at the University of Texas at Austin, where I began working in the lab of Prof. Jason Shear on characterizing environmentally sensitive materials and designing biocompatible microfabrication strategies.
Publications
10. Connell, J.L.*; Ritschdorff, E.T.*; Shear, J.B. 2013. Photoresponsive multiphoton-fabricated protein hydrogels. In Preparation (*coauthors)
9. Ritschdorff, E.T.*; Connell, J.L.*; Shear, J.B. 2014. Tunable, Thermally responsive multiphoton-fabricated protein hydrogels. In Preparation (*coauthors)
8. Wessel, A.K.; Arshad, T.; Fitzpatrick, M.; Connell, J.L.; Bonnecaze, R.; Shear, J.B.; Whiteley, M. 2014. Oxygen limitation within a bacterial aggregate. mBio. (In Press).
7. Murray, J.L.; Connell, J.L.; Stacy, A.; Turner, K.H.; Whiteley, M. 2014. Mechanisms of synergy in polymicrobial infections. J. Microbiol. 52(3): 188-199.
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12275-014-4067-3
6. Connell, J.L.; Ritschdorff, E.T.; Whiteley, M.; Shear, J.B. 2013. 3D printing of microscopic bacterial communities. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 110(46): 18380-18305. http://www.pnas.org/content/110/46/18380.long
5. Spivey, E.C.; Ritschdorff, E.T.; Connell, J.L.; McLennon, C.; Schmidt, C.E.; Shear, J.B. 2013 Multiphoton lithography of unconstrained three-dimensional protein microstructures. Adv. Funct. Mater. 23: 333-339. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adfm.201201465/full
4. Connell, J.L.; Whiteley, M.; Shear, J.B. 2012. Sociomicrobiology in engineered landscapes. Nat. Chem. Biol. 8: 10-13. http://www.nature.com/nchembio/journal/v8/n1/full/nchembio.749.html
3. Connell, J.L.*; Wessel, A.K.*; Parsek, M.R.; Ellington, A.D.; Whiteley, M.; Shear, J.B. 2010. Probing prokaryotic social behaviors with bacterial “lobster traps”. mBio. 1: e00202-e00210. (*coauthors) http://mbio.asm.org/content/1/4/e00202-10.full
2. Olson, I.A.; Sessler, A.M., Connell, J.L.; Giordano, E.; Baez Sosa, Y.Y.; Zavaleta, S.W.; Bowyer, W.J. 2009. Measurement of heterogeneous reaction rates during indium-mediated allylation. J. Phys. Chem. A. 113: 2801-2808. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jp811111e
1. Magnotti, R.A.; Connell, J.L.; Marietta, P.M. 2009. Automated colorimetric gadolinium assay for verification of clearance and estimation of glomerular filtration rate. Clin. Chim. Acta, 399: 59-63. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009898108004634
Presentations & Posters
Connell, J.L.; Ritschdorff, E.T.; Kim, J.; Bard, A.J.; Shear, J.B.; Whiteley, M. May 2014. Micro-3D printing of bacterial communities. Biofilms6, Vienna, Austria.
Wessel, A.K.; Arshad, T.; Fitzpatrick, M.; Connell, J.L.; Bonnecaze, R.; Shear, J.B.; Whiteley, M. September 2013. Oxygen limitation within a bacterial aggregate. International Conference on Pseudomonas. Lausanne, Switzerland.
Connell, J.L.; Ritschdorff, E.T.; Whiteley, M.; Shear, J.B. October 2010. Bacterial catch-and-release using thermally responsive multiphoton-fabricated protein hydrogels. Biomedical Society Annual Meeting, Austin, TX.
Ritschdorff, E.T.; Connell, J.L.; Shear, J.B. April 2010. Thermally responsive, tunable multiphoton-fabricated protein hydrogels. Materials Research Society Spring Meeting. San Francisco, CA.
Connell, J.L.; Ritschdorff, E.T.; Wessel, A.K.; Whiteley, M.; Shear, J.B. April 2009. 3D microfabrication of responsive protein gels to study bacterial group activities. Society for Biomaterials Annual Meeting. San Antonio, TX.
Wessel, A.K.; Connell, J.L.; Parsek, M.R.; Shear, J.B.; Whiteley, M. August 2009. The utility of bacterial “lobster traps”. International Conference on Pseudomonas, Hannover, Germany.
Connell, J.L.; Ritschdorff, E.T.; Kaehr, B.; Shear, J.B. March 2009. 3D microfabrication of responsive protein gels for remodeling cellular environments. American Physics Society, Pittsburgh, PA.
Guglielmo, M.A.; Connell, J.L.; Bowyer, W.J. March 2007. Measurement of heterogeneous rate constants during the reaction of allyl bromide at indium surfaces. Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry, Chicago, IL.
Connell, J.L.; Bowyer, W.J. April 2006. Novel technique for the measurement of heterogeneous rate constants: reaction of allyl bromide at indium surfaces. Council on Undergraduate Research Poster Session on Capitol Hill, Washington D.C.
Connell, J.L.; Beckingham, B.A.; Bowyer, W.J. March 2006. Novel technique for the measurement of heterogeneous rate constants: reaction of allyl bromide at indium surfaces. Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry, Orlando, FL.
Connell, J.L.; Harrison, R. August 2004. Development and optimization of a PCB 126 immunoassay detection kit. MERITS Research Symposium. Colby College, Waterville, ME.
Honors and Awards
2014 - Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Ann Weinberg Memorial Research Fellow
2014 - Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
2010 - H.R. Henze Teaching Excellence Award
2006 - Sigma Xi Scientific Honor Society
2006 - ACS Analytical Chemistry Student of the Year Award
2004 - Maine Research Internships for Teachers and Students (MERITS) Grant Recipient
