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Mary K Cowman

Mary K Cowman

Professor of Biochemistry

Chemical and Biological Sciences

Phone: 718-260-3054
Email: mcowman@duke.poly.edu
Website: http://research.poly.edu/~mcowman/research/

Overview
Selected Publications

Education
- Case Western Reserve University
  Ph.D., Chemistry
- Brandeis University
  Postdoctoral Fellow, Biochemistry
- Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
  NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Ophthalmology Research
Research Interests
Discovery and development of new biomaterials with medical applications. Biophysical chemistry of medicinal macromolecules in solution, on surfaces, and in confined environments. Development of new theories to explain macromolecular properties in biological solutions. Development of atomic force microscopy methods for the imaging and physical characterization of single biological macromolecules and nanoparticles. Unique expertise in the polysaccharide hyaluronan.
Journal Articles
Selected papers, 2000-2009

Colon, E., Shytuhina, A., Cowman, M.K., Band, P.A., Sanggaard, K., Enghild, J.J., and Wisniewski, H-G. (2009) "Transfer of Inter-a-Inhibitor Heavy Chains to Hyaluronan by Surface-linked Hyaluronan – TSG-6 Complexes" J. Biol. Chem. 284, 2320-31.

Tarasenko, O., Nourbakhsh, S., Kuo, S.P., Bakhtina, A., Alustra, P., Kudasheva, D., Cowman, M., and Levon, K. (2006) "Scanning Electron and Atomic Force Microscopy to Study Plasma Torch Effects on B. Cereus Spores" IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 34, 1281-1289.

Cowman, M.K., Funami, T., Al-Assaf, S., Kudasheva, D.S., Mohan, D., and Phillips, G.O. (2006) "Use of Atomic Force Microscopy to Investigate the Structure of Arabinogalactan Proteins" Food Food Ingred. J. Japan. 211, 207-212.

Cowman, M.K., Spagnoli, C., Kudasheva, D.S., Matsuoka, S., and Balazs, E.A. (2005) “Influence of Environment on Hyaluronan Shape” in Hyaluronan: Its Structure, Metabolism, Biological Activities, and Therapeutic Applications", E.A. Balazs and V.C. Hascall, eds., Matrix Biology Institute, Edgewater, NJ, pp. 79-87.

Spagnoli, C., Korniakov, A., Ulman, A., Balazs, E.A., Lyubchenko, Y., and Cowman, M.K. (2005) “Structure and Interactions of the Polysaccharide Hyaluronan on Surfaces: Effect of Surface Charge and Hydrophobicity” Carb. Res. 340, 929-941.

Cowman, M.K. and Matsuoka, S. (2005) "Experimental Approaches to Hyaluronan Structure" Carb. Res. 340, 791-809.

Cowman, M.K., Spagnoli, C., Kudasheva, D., Li, M., Dyal, A., Kanai, S., and Balazs, E.A. (2005) “Extended, Relaxed, and Condensed Conformations of Hyaluronan” Biophys. J. 88, 590-602.

Kudasheva, D.S., Lai, J., Ulman, A., and Cowman, M.K. (2004) “Structure of Carbohydrate-Bound Polynuclear Iron Oxyhydroxide Nanoparticles in Parenteral Formulations” J. Inorg. Biochem. 98, 1757-1769.

Cowman, M.K. and Mendichi, R. (2004) “Methods for Determination of Hyaluronan Molecular Weight” in Chemistry and Biology of Hyaluronan, H.G. Garg and C.A. Hales, eds., Elsevier Press, Amsterdam, pp. 41-69.

Gupta, P., Loos, K., Korniakov, A., Spagnoli, C., Cowman, M., Ulman, A. (2004) “Facile Route to Ultraflat SAM-Protected Gold Surfaces by ‘Amphiphile Splitting’” Angewandte Chemie Int. Ed. 43, 520-523.

Kazakov, S., Kaholek, M., Kudasheva, D., Teraoka, I., Cowman, M.K., and Levon, K. (2003) “Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-1-vinylimidazole) Hydrogel Nanoparticles Prepared and Hydrophobically Modified in Liposome Reactors: Atomic Force Microscopy and Dynamic Light Scattering” Langmuir 19, 8086-8093.

Spagnoli, C., Loos, K., Ulman, A., and Cowman, M.K. (2003) “Imaging Structured Water and Bound Polysaccharide on Mica Surface at Ambient Temperature” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 125, 7124-7128.

Paradossi, G., Cavalieri, F., Chiessi, E., Spagnoli, C., and Cowman, M.K. (2003) “Poly(vinyl alcohol) as versatile biomaterial for potential biomedical applications” J. Mater. Sci.: Mater. Med. 14, 687-691.

Dyal, A., Loos, K., Noto, M., Chang, S.W., Spagnoli, C., Shafi, K.V.P.M., Ulman, A., Cowman, M., and Gross, R.A. (2003) “Activity of Candida Rugosa Lipase Immobilized on g-Fe2O3 Magnetic Nanoparticles” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 125, 1684-5.

Matsuoka, S. and Cowman, M.K. (2002) “Equation of State for Polymer Solution” Polymer 43, 3447-3453.

Cowman, M.K., Feder-Davis, J., and Hittner, D.M. (2001) "13C-NMR Studies of Hyaluronan. 2. Dependence of Conformational Dynamics on Chain Length and Solvent." Macromolecules 34, 110-115.

Stenger, J., Cowman, M., Eggers, F., Eyring, E.M., Kaatze, U., and Petrucci, S. (2000) "Molecular Dynamics and Kinetics of Monosaccharides in Solution. A Broadband Ultrasonic Relaxation Study." J. Phys. Chem. B 104, 4782-4790.

Kwei, T.K., Nakazawa, M., Matsuoka, S., Cowman, M.K., and Okamoto, Y. (2000) "The Concentration Dependence of Solution Viscosities of Rigid Polymers." Macromolecules 33, 235-236.

Cowman, M.K., Li, M., Dyal, A., and Balazs, E.A. (2000) "Tapping Mode Atomic Force Microscopy of the Hyaluronan Derivative, Hylan A." Carbohydr. Polym. 41, 229-235.

Liu, J. and Cowman, M.K. (2000) "Thermal Analysis of Semi-Dilute Hyaluronan Solutions." J. Therm. Anal. Calorim. 59, 547-557.

Authored + Edited Books
Garg, H.G., Cowman, M.K., and Hales, C.A., eds. (2008) "Carbohydrate Chemistry, Biology, and Medical Applications", Elsevier, Amsterdam.