Antonia Nemec Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Biosketch
Dr. Nemec earned her Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh in 2009 and was a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University School of Medicine until 2014. Dr. Nemec joined the Department of Biomedical Sciences in January 2015.
Education
B.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Lebanon Valley College
Ph.D., Molecular Toxicology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health
Postdoctoral training, Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Therapeutic Radiology
Service
2023 – Present Faculty Advisor, Anesthesiology Interest Group, Florida State University College of Medicine
2021 – Present Florida State University College of Medicine Curriculum Committee
2021 – Present Florida State University College of Medicine Year 1 and 2 Course Directors Committee
2019 – Present Faculty Advisor, CELLS (Connecting Experimental Lab and Life Sciences) Undergraduate Pre-Health Organization
2017 – 2018 Department of Biomedical Sciences Seminar Committee
2015 – 2016 Department of Biomedical Sciences By-Laws and Policy Committee
Honors/Awards
Florida Undergraduate Research Association Mentor of the Year, 2023
Florida State University College of Medicine Outstanding Junior Faculty Educator Award, 2020
5th US-EU Conference on Repair of Endogenous DNA Damage Travel Award, 2014
Yale Nominee to the Future Leaders in Basic Cancer Research symposium at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, 2014
Omicron Chapter of the Delta Omega National Honor Society, Best Doctoral Dissertation, 2010
Allegheny-Erie Regional Chapter Society of Toxicology, Best Overall Poster at the 22nd Annual Spring Meeting, 2009
Society of Toxicology Metals Specialty Section Student Award, 3rd place, 2009
University of Pittsburgh Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Travel Grant to attend the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, 2009
Society of Toxicology Metals Specialty Section Student Award, 3rd place, 2008.
University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health Keleti Award for Environmental Health, 2008
University of Pittsburgh Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Travel Grant to attend the Experimental Biology Annual Meeting, 2008
Allegheny-Erie Regional Chapter Society of Toxicology Maryanne Stock Student Research Award, 2007
Allegheny-Erie Regional Chapter Society of Toxicology Student Travel Award to attend the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, 2006
Memberships
Member, The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), 2017-.
Member, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), 2011-.
Courses
BMS6030 Foundations of Medicine 2 (Co-course Director)
BMS4401 Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology (Course Director)
Research Focus
Proteasome biogenesis and function
Learn more at the Tomko Lab website
Publications
Nemec, AA and Tomko, RJ Jr. A suite of polymerase chain reaction-based peptide tagging plasmids for epitope-targeted enzymatic functionalization of yeast proteins. Yeast. 37: 327-35, 2020.
Nemec, AA, Peterson AK, Warnock, JL, Reed, RG, and Tomko, RJ Jr. An Allosteric Interaction Network Promotes Conformation State-Dependent Eviction of the Nas6 Assembly Chaperone from Nascent 26S Proteasomes. Cell Reports. 26: 483-495, 2019.
Nemec AA, Howell LA, Peterson AK, Murray MA, and Tomko RJ Jr. Autophagic clearance of proteasomes in yeast requires the conserved sorting nexin Snx4. J Biol Chem. 292:21466-21480, 2017.
Galick HA, Marsden, C, Kathe S, Dragon JA, Volk L, Nemec AA, Wallace SS, Prakash, A, Doublie S, and Sweasy JB. The NEIL1 G83D germline DNA glycosylase variant induces genomic instability and cellular transformation. Oncotarget. 8:85883-85895, 2017.
Eckenroth BE, Towle-Weicksel JB, Nemec AA, Murphy DM, Sweasy JB, and Doublie S. Remote mutations induce functional changes in active site residues of human DNA polymerase beta. Biochemistry. 56:2363-2371, 2017.
Nemec AA*, Abriola L, Merkel JS, Glazer PM, and Sweasy JB. DNA polymerase beta germline variant confers cellular response to cisplatin therapy. Mol Cancer Res. 15:269-280, 2017.
*Co-corresponding author
Nemec AA*, Bush KB, Towle-Weicksel JB, Taylor BF, Schulz V, Weidhaas JB , Tuck DP, and Sweasy JB. Estrogen drives cellular transformation and mutagenesis in cells expressing the breast cancer-associated R438W DNA Polymerase Lambda Protein. Mol Cancer Res. 14:1068-1077, 2016.
*Co-corresponding author
Rozacky J, Nemec AA, Sweasy JB, and Kidane D. Gastric cancer associated variant of DNA polymerase beta (Leu22Pro) promotes DNA replication associated double strand breaks. Oncotarget. 6: 24474-24487, 2015.
McVeigh TP, Jung S-Y, Kerin MJ, Salzman D, Nallur S, Nemec AA, Dookwah M, Sadofsky J, Paranjape T, Kelly O, Chan E, Miller N, Sweeney KJ, Zelterman D, Sweasy JB, Pilarski R, Telesca D, Slack FJ, and Weidhaas JB. Estrogen withdrawal and multiple breast cancer risk for women with KRAS-variant. Cell Cycle 14: 2091-9. DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2015.1041694.10.1080/15384101.2015.1041694.
Sjolund A, Nemec AA, Paquet N, Prakash A, Sung P, Doublie S, and Sweasy JB. A germline polymorphism of thymine DNA glycosylase induces genomic instability and cellular transformation. PLoS Genet 10:e1004753, 2014.
Nemec AA, Murphy DM, Donigan KA, and Sweasy JB. The S229L DNA polymerase beta human colon tumor variant induces cellular transformation as a result of decreased polymerization efficiency. J Biol Chem 289:13708-16, 2014.
Yamtich JA, Nemec AA*, and Sweasy JB. A germline polymorphism of DNA polymerase beta induces genomic instability and cellular transformation. PLoS Genet 8: e1003052, 2012.
*Co-first author
**Featured in Perspective in same issue
Donigan KA, Sun KW, Nemec AA, Murphy DL, Cong X, Northrup V, Zelterman D, and Sweasy JB. The Human POLB Gene is mutated in a high percentage of colorectal tumors. J Biol Chem 287:23830-9, 2012.
Nemec AA, Donigan KA, Murphy DL, Jaeger J, and Sweasy JB. Colon Cancer-Associated DNA Polymerase Beta Variant Induces Genomic Instability and Cellular Transformation. J Biol Chem 287:23840-9, 2012.
Nemec AA, Wallace SS, and Sweasy JB. Variant base excision repair proteins: Contributors to genomic instability. Semin Cancer Biol 20:320-8, 2010.
Nemec AA, Zubritsky LM, and Barchowsky A. Chromium(VI) stimulates Fyn to initiate innate immune gene induction in human airway epithelial cells. Chem Res Toxicol 23: 396-404, 2010.
Nemec AA and Barchowsky A. Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 1 (STAT1) is essential for chromium silencing of gene induction in human airway epithelial cells. Toxicol Sci 110:212-23, 2009.
Nemec AA, Leikauf GD, Pitt BR, Wasserloos KJ, and Barchowsky A. Nickel mobilizes intracellular zinc to induce metallothionein in human airway epithelial cells. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 41:69-75, 2009.
O’Hara KA, Vaghjiani RJ, Nemec AA, Klei LR, and Barchowsky A. Chromium(VI)-stimulated STAT3 tyrosine phosphorylation and nuclear translocation in human airway epithelial cells requires Lck. Biochem J 402:261-9, 2007.
O’Hara KA, Nemec AA, Alam J, Klei LR, Mossman BT, and Barchowsky A. Chromium(VI) inhibits heme oxygenase-1 expression in vivo and in arsenic-exposed human airway epithelial cells. J Cell Physiol 209:113-21, 2006.
Soucy NV, Mayka DD, Klei LR, Nemec AA, Bauer JA, and Barchowsky A. Neovascularization and angiogenic gene expression following chronic arsenic exposure in mice. Cardiovasc Toxicol 5:29-41, 2005.
Gao F, Barchowsky A, Nemec AA, and Fabisiak JP. Microbial Stimulation by Mycoplasma fermentans Synergistically Amplifies IL-6 Release by Human Lung Fibroblasts in Response to Residual Oil Fly Ash (ROFA) and Nickel. Toxicol Sci 81:467-479, 2004.
Book Chapters
Nemec AA and Sweasy JB. Pol Β variants and their relation to cancer. In Function of Translesion DNA Polymerases in Genomic Stability, 2015. Research Signpost.
Dr. Nemec earned her Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh in 2009 and was a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University School of Medicine until 2014. Dr. Nemec joined the Department of Biomedical Sciences in January 2015.
B.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Lebanon Valley College
Ph.D., Molecular Toxicology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health
Postdoctoral training, Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Therapeutic Radiology
2023 – Present Faculty Advisor, Anesthesiology Interest Group, Florida State University College of Medicine
2021 – Present Florida State University College of Medicine Curriculum Committee
2021 – Present Florida State University College of Medicine Year 1 and 2 Course Directors Committee
2019 – Present Faculty Advisor, CELLS (Connecting Experimental Lab and Life Sciences) Undergraduate Pre-Health Organization
2017 – 2018 Department of Biomedical Sciences Seminar Committee
2015 – 2016 Department of Biomedical Sciences By-Laws and Policy Committee
Florida Undergraduate Research Association Mentor of the Year, 2023
Florida State University College of Medicine Outstanding Junior Faculty Educator Award, 2020
5th US-EU Conference on Repair of Endogenous DNA Damage Travel Award, 2014
Yale Nominee to the Future Leaders in Basic Cancer Research symposium at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, 2014
Omicron Chapter of the Delta Omega National Honor Society, Best Doctoral Dissertation, 2010
Allegheny-Erie Regional Chapter Society of Toxicology, Best Overall Poster at the 22nd Annual Spring Meeting, 2009
Society of Toxicology Metals Specialty Section Student Award, 3rd place, 2009
University of Pittsburgh Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Travel Grant to attend the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, 2009
Society of Toxicology Metals Specialty Section Student Award, 3rd place, 2008.
University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health Keleti Award for Environmental Health, 2008
University of Pittsburgh Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Travel Grant to attend the Experimental Biology Annual Meeting, 2008
Allegheny-Erie Regional Chapter Society of Toxicology Maryanne Stock Student Research Award, 2007
Allegheny-Erie Regional Chapter Society of Toxicology Student Travel Award to attend the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, 2006
Member, The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), 2017-.
Member, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), 2011-.
BMS6030 Foundations of Medicine 2 (Co-course Director)
BMS4401 Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology (Course Director)
Proteasome biogenesis and function
Learn more at the Tomko Lab website
Nemec, AA and Tomko, RJ Jr. A suite of polymerase chain reaction-based peptide tagging plasmids for epitope-targeted enzymatic functionalization of yeast proteins. Yeast. 37: 327-35, 2020.
Nemec, AA, Peterson AK, Warnock, JL, Reed, RG, and Tomko, RJ Jr. An Allosteric Interaction Network Promotes Conformation State-Dependent Eviction of the Nas6 Assembly Chaperone from Nascent 26S Proteasomes. Cell Reports. 26: 483-495, 2019.
Nemec AA, Howell LA, Peterson AK, Murray MA, and Tomko RJ Jr. Autophagic clearance of proteasomes in yeast requires the conserved sorting nexin Snx4. J Biol Chem. 292:21466-21480, 2017.
Galick HA, Marsden, C, Kathe S, Dragon JA, Volk L, Nemec AA, Wallace SS, Prakash, A, Doublie S, and Sweasy JB. The NEIL1 G83D germline DNA glycosylase variant induces genomic instability and cellular transformation. Oncotarget. 8:85883-85895, 2017.
Eckenroth BE, Towle-Weicksel JB, Nemec AA, Murphy DM, Sweasy JB, and Doublie S. Remote mutations induce functional changes in active site residues of human DNA polymerase beta. Biochemistry. 56:2363-2371, 2017.
Nemec AA*, Abriola L, Merkel JS, Glazer PM, and Sweasy JB. DNA polymerase beta germline variant confers cellular response to cisplatin therapy. Mol Cancer Res. 15:269-280, 2017.
*Co-corresponding author
Nemec AA*, Bush KB, Towle-Weicksel JB, Taylor BF, Schulz V, Weidhaas JB , Tuck DP, and Sweasy JB. Estrogen drives cellular transformation and mutagenesis in cells expressing the breast cancer-associated R438W DNA Polymerase Lambda Protein. Mol Cancer Res. 14:1068-1077, 2016.
*Co-corresponding author
Rozacky J, Nemec AA, Sweasy JB, and Kidane D. Gastric cancer associated variant of DNA polymerase beta (Leu22Pro) promotes DNA replication associated double strand breaks. Oncotarget. 6: 24474-24487, 2015.
McVeigh TP, Jung S-Y, Kerin MJ, Salzman D, Nallur S, Nemec AA, Dookwah M, Sadofsky J, Paranjape T, Kelly O, Chan E, Miller N, Sweeney KJ, Zelterman D, Sweasy JB, Pilarski R, Telesca D, Slack FJ, and Weidhaas JB. Estrogen withdrawal and multiple breast cancer risk for women with KRAS-variant. Cell Cycle 14: 2091-9. DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2015.1041694.10.1080/15384101.2015.1041694.
Sjolund A, Nemec AA, Paquet N, Prakash A, Sung P, Doublie S, and Sweasy JB. A germline polymorphism of thymine DNA glycosylase induces genomic instability and cellular transformation. PLoS Genet 10:e1004753, 2014.
Nemec AA, Murphy DM, Donigan KA, and Sweasy JB. The S229L DNA polymerase beta human colon tumor variant induces cellular transformation as a result of decreased polymerization efficiency. J Biol Chem 289:13708-16, 2014.
Yamtich JA, Nemec AA*, and Sweasy JB. A germline polymorphism of DNA polymerase beta induces genomic instability and cellular transformation. PLoS Genet 8: e1003052, 2012.
*Co-first author
**Featured in Perspective in same issue
Donigan KA, Sun KW, Nemec AA, Murphy DL, Cong X, Northrup V, Zelterman D, and Sweasy JB. The Human POLB Gene is mutated in a high percentage of colorectal tumors. J Biol Chem 287:23830-9, 2012.
Nemec AA, Donigan KA, Murphy DL, Jaeger J, and Sweasy JB. Colon Cancer-Associated DNA Polymerase Beta Variant Induces Genomic Instability and Cellular Transformation. J Biol Chem 287:23840-9, 2012.
Nemec AA, Wallace SS, and Sweasy JB. Variant base excision repair proteins: Contributors to genomic instability. Semin Cancer Biol 20:320-8, 2010.
Nemec AA, Zubritsky LM, and Barchowsky A. Chromium(VI) stimulates Fyn to initiate innate immune gene induction in human airway epithelial cells. Chem Res Toxicol 23: 396-404, 2010.
Nemec AA and Barchowsky A. Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 1 (STAT1) is essential for chromium silencing of gene induction in human airway epithelial cells. Toxicol Sci 110:212-23, 2009.
Nemec AA, Leikauf GD, Pitt BR, Wasserloos KJ, and Barchowsky A. Nickel mobilizes intracellular zinc to induce metallothionein in human airway epithelial cells. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 41:69-75, 2009.
O’Hara KA, Vaghjiani RJ, Nemec AA, Klei LR, and Barchowsky A. Chromium(VI)-stimulated STAT3 tyrosine phosphorylation and nuclear translocation in human airway epithelial cells requires Lck. Biochem J 402:261-9, 2007.
O’Hara KA, Nemec AA, Alam J, Klei LR, Mossman BT, and Barchowsky A. Chromium(VI) inhibits heme oxygenase-1 expression in vivo and in arsenic-exposed human airway epithelial cells. J Cell Physiol 209:113-21, 2006.
Soucy NV, Mayka DD, Klei LR, Nemec AA, Bauer JA, and Barchowsky A. Neovascularization and angiogenic gene expression following chronic arsenic exposure in mice. Cardiovasc Toxicol 5:29-41, 2005.
Gao F, Barchowsky A, Nemec AA, and Fabisiak JP. Microbial Stimulation by Mycoplasma fermentans Synergistically Amplifies IL-6 Release by Human Lung Fibroblasts in Response to Residual Oil Fly Ash (ROFA) and Nickel. Toxicol Sci 81:467-479, 2004.
Book Chapters
Nemec AA and Sweasy JB. Pol Β variants and their relation to cancer. In Function of Translesion DNA Polymerases in Genomic Stability, 2015. Research Signpost.