Thomas West, Ph.D.

Department Head & Professor

Educational Background

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemistry, Boston College, 1982
• Research Associate, Molecular Microbiology, University of Arizona, 1981
• Research Associate, Microbiology, Michigan State University, 1980
• Ph.D., Biochemistry, Texas A&M University-College Station, 1980
• M.S., Biochemistry, Texas A&M University-College Station, 1976
• B.S., Biological Sciences, Purdue University, 1974

Academic Positions

• Professor and Department Head, Chemistry, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2015-present
• Professor, Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, 2005-2015
• Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry, South Dakota State University, 1993-2004
• Associate Professor, Chemistry, South Dakota State University, 1988-1993
• Assistant Professor, Microbiology and Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, 1983-1987

Professional Organizations

• American Chemical Society
• American Society for Microbiology
• Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology
• Society for the Sigma Xi (Scientific Research Society)
• Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine

Selected Publications

• Murahari, E. C, and T. P. West. 2019. The pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway and its regulation in Pseudomonas jessenii. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 112:461-469. doi.org/10.1007/s10482-018-1168-8
• West, T. P. 2018. Cytidine 5'-triphosphate synthetase: A pyrimidine biosynthetic enzyme critical to cellular synthesis and cancer chemotherapy. Biochem. Physiol. 7:1000e160 (2 pages). doi: 10.4172/2168-9652.1000e160
• Kennedy, D. E. II and T. P. West. 2018. Effect of yeast extract addition to a mineral salts medium containing hydrolyzed plant xylan on fungal pullulan production. Z. Naturforsch. C 73:319-323. doi: 10.1515/znc-2018-0018
• West, T. P. 2018. Cytosine Deaminase: A pyrimidine base salvage enzyme vital to the effectiveness of a substrate mediated enzyme prodrug chemotherapy. Biochem. Physiol. 7:1000e159 (2 pages). doi: 10.4172/2168-9652.1000e159