Susan Howitt completed her PhD at the ANU, working on the genetics of symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria. She then changed fields, moving to the John Curtin School of Medical Research to work first on the E. coli ATP synthase and later becoming involved in a project on the GABAA receptor. Both projects used genetic approaches to address the structure and function of these proteins and this research led to her current interest in another class of membrane proteins, nutrient transporters. In 1997 Susan was appointed to a lecturing position in BaMBi. This has led to an increasing interest in learning and teaching and she is currently studying towards a Master in Higher Education and is also Chair of the Education Special Interest Group of the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Contact Details

E: Susan.Howitt@anu.edu.au T: (+61 2) 6125 4356 F: (+61 2) 6125 0313

Main Research interests

Transporter structure and function Educational research

Teaching Activities

BIOL1004: Molecular Biology BIOL2161: Genes:Replication and Expression (Convenor) BIOL2174: Cell Physiology in Health and Disease

Research Activities

My main research interest is in how transporters function and we aim to understand their molecular mechanisms. We are using heterologous expression systems to characterize transporters and mutant variants that have been generated by site-directed mutagenesis or random methods. This allows us to test hypotheses about which regions of the transporter are important for function. Our current focus is on sulphate transporters from plants. We also collaborate with the Kirk lab in optimizing heterologous expression of transporters from the malaria parasite so that these can be characterized and their functions better understood. Recently, I have also become interested in educational research, focusing on two related areas, learning for conceptual understanding and research training. I am a member of a international team which aims to define a ‘concept domain’ in the molecular life sciences. We are identifying key concepts and developing questions designed to probe student understandings and to reveal misunderstandings of these concepts. This question inventory will have uses in developing curricula, and in assessing student understanding.

Awards

2006: College of Science Excellence in Teaching Award 2008: Invitrogen Education Award, from the Australian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Publications

2009 Martin, R.E., Marchetti, R.V., Cowan, A.I., Howitt, S.M., Bröer, S. and Kirk, K. (2009)  Chloroquine transport via the malaria parasite’s ‘Chloroquine Resistance Transporter’.  Science, 325, 1680-1682 [PubMed] Megan.C. SheldenA, Susan.M. Howitt, Brent N. Kaiser, Stephen D. Tyerman (2009) ‘Identification and functional characterisation of aquaporins in the grapevine, Vitis vinifera. ‘ Accepted by Functional Plant Biology. 2008 Leves FP, Tierney ML and Howitt SM (2008) Polar residues in a conserved motif spanning helices 1 and 2 are functionally important in the SulP transporter family Accepted by Int. J. Biochem Cell Biol. 40: 2596-2605. Downie MJ, Saliba K, Broer S, Howitt SM and Kirk K (2008) Purine nucleobase transport in the intraerythrocytic malaria parasite. Int. J Parasitol. 38: 203-9 2007 Henry RL, Martin RE, Howitt SM and Kirk K (2007) Localisation of a candidate anion transporter to the surface of the malaria parasite. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 363: 288-91 Howitt SM (2007) Investigation of the properties of wild type and mutant alkaline phosphatase variants: a laboratory project linking genotype and phenotype. BAMBED. Wilson, AN, Howitt, SM and Wilson KF (2007). Research-led education: challenges and experiences. UniserveScience Symposium Proceedings. 154-159 2006 Downie MJ, Saliba K, Howitt SM, Broer S and Kirk K (2006) Transport of nucleosides across the Plasmodium falciparum parasite plasma membrane has characteristics of PfENT1. Mol. Microbiol. 60: 738-748. 2005 Howitt SM (2005) The role of cysteine residues in the sulphate transporter, SHST1; construction of a functional cysteine-less transporter. Biophys Biochim Acta – Biomembranes. 1669: 995-100 Kirk K, Martin RE, Broer S, Howitt SM and Saliba K (2005) Plasmodium permeomics: membrane transport proteins in the malaria parasite. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 295:325-56 2004 Tierney. ML, Osborn KE, Milburn PJ. Stowell MH and Howitt SM (2004) Phylogenetic conservation of disulfide-linked, dimeric acetylcholine receptor pentamers in southern ocean electric rays. J. Exp Biol. 207 : 3581-90. GD Price, FJ Woodger, MR. Badger, SM Howitt, and L Tucker (2004) Identification of a SulP-type bicarbonate transporter in marine cyanobacteria PNAS 101: 18228-18233. 2003 Shelden MC, Loughlin P, Tierney ML and Howitt SM (2003) Interactions between charged amino acid residues within transmembrane helices in the sulfate transporter SHST1. Biochemistry. 42:12941-9. 2002 Loughlin P, Shelden MC Tierney ML and Howitt SM (2002) Structure and function of a model member of the SulP family. Cell. Biochem. Biophys. 36:183-90 2001 Shelden MC, Dong B, de Bruxelles G, Trevaskis J, Whelan J, Ryan PR, Howitt SM and Udvardi MK. (2001) Arabidopsis ammonium transporters, AtAMT1;1 and AtAMT1;2, have different biochemical properties and functional roles. Plant and Soil. 231 : 151-160. Shelden MC, Loughlin P, Tierney ML and Howitt SM (2001) Proline residues in two tightly coupled helices of the sulphate transporter, SHST1, are important for sulphate transport. Biochem. J. 356 : 589-594. Harris RM, Webb DC, Howitt SM and Cox GB (2001) Characterization of PitA and PitB from Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 183: 5008-5014