BIO

Dr. Melissa Pickett has been an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the College of Idaho since 2024. She teaches Molecules to Cells (BIOL-2201), Cell Biology (BIOL-3330), Genetics (BIOL-3316), and a special topics course in Microscopy during Winter term. Dr. Pickett’s research program seeks to understand how the epithelial cells that form the linings of all animal organs achieve the correct shapes and organization to create functional tissues. Dr. Pickett’s lab studies the model nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, and uses microscopy, CRISPR editing, tissue specific protein depletion, genetic mutants, RNAi, and chemical approaches to understand how intestinal cells establish, remodel, and maintain the polarized localization of conserved proteins to specific parts of cells.

Dr. Pickett enjoys getting students excited about biology and loves working with the incredibly motivated students at the College of Idaho. Dr. Pickett is a 5th generation Idahoan and alumna of the College of Idaho. Dr. Pickett enjoys hiking and camping with her family in her spare time.

EDUCATION

Ph.D., North Carolina State University, 2016 (Major: Toxicology, Minor: Molecular Biotechnology)

B.S., The College of Idaho, 2011 (Major: Biology, Summa Cum Laude)

SCHOLARSHIP & RESEARCH

Naturale, V.F., Pickett, M.A., Feldman, J.L., (2023). Persistent cell contacts enable E-cadherin/HMR-1- and PAR-3-based symmetry breaking within a developing C. elegans epithelium. Developmental Cell. 2023 Oct 9; 58(19):830-1846.e12. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.07.008.

Naturale, V.F, Pickett, M.A., Feldman, J.L., (2023) Context matters: Lessons in Epithelial polarity from the Caenorhabditis elegans intestine and other tissues. Current Topics in Developmental Biology; 2023:154:37-71.doi: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.02.007.

*Pickett, M.A., Sallee, M.D., Cote, L., Naturale, V.F., Akpinaroglu, D.,Lee, J., Shen, K., Feldman, J.L., (2022). Separable mechanisms drive local and global polarity establishment in the Caenorhabditis elegans intestinal epithelium. Development; 2022, 149(22): dev200325.

Salle, M.D., Pickett, M.A., Feldman, J.L. (2021). Apical PAR complex proteins protect against programmed epithelial assaults to create a continuous and functional intestinal lumen. eLife 2021; 10:e64437 DOI: 10.7554/eLife.64437

Sanchez, A.D., Branon, T., Cote, L., Papagiannakis, X.L., Pickett, M., Shen, K., Jacobs-Wagner, C., Ting, A., Feldman, J.L. (2021) Proximity labeling reveals non-centrosomal microtubule-organizing centers required for microtubule growth and localization. Current Biology. 2021 Aug 23; 31 (16):3586-3600.e11. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.021.

Pickett, M.A., Naturale, V.F., Feldman, J.L. (2019) A polarizing issue: diversity in the mechanisms underlying apico-basolateral polarization in vivo. Annual

Review of Cell and Developmental Biology, 35: 285-308.

Pickett, M.A., Dush, M.K., Nascone-Yoder, N.M. (2017) Acetylcholinesterase plays a non-neuronal, non-esterase role in organogenesis. Development, 144 (15):

2764-2770.

Gunderson, M.P., Pickett, M.A., Martin, J.T., Hulse, E.J., Smith, S.S., Smith, L.A., Campbell, R.M., Lowers, R.H., Boggs, A.S.P. Guillette, L.J. Jr. (2016) Variations in hepatic biomarkers in American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) from three sites in Florida, USA. Chemosphere, 155:

180-187.

Womble, M.A., Pickett, M.A., Nascone-Yoder, N.M. (2016). Frogs as integrative models for understanding digestive organ development and evolution. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology, 51: 92-105.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

The College of Idaho, Assistant Professor of Biology (2024-)

San José State University, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences (2022-2024)

San José State University, Visiting Instructor in Genetics (Fall 2019, Fall 2021)

Stanford University, Postdoctoral Researcher (2017-2022)

NIH-Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Postdoctoral Fellow (F32)

North Carolina State University GAANN Fellow (2012-2014)

Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need Fellow and completion of Certificate of

Accomplishment in Teaching

The College of Idaho INBRE Student (Summer 2010)

NIH – IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE)

Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory Research Student (Summer 2009) NSF-Research Experience for the Undergraduate (REU)