education

Ph.D. Chemistry, California Institute of Technology, 1999
Thesis: Electron tunneling in proteins and water [PDF]

B.S. Chemistry, Michigan State University, 1993
Thesis: Energy transfer in supramolecules

publications

Terbium-macrocycle complexes as chemical sensors: Detection of an aspirin metabolite in urine using a salicylurate-specific receptor site.  Esplin, T.L.; Cable, M.L.; Gray, H.B.; Ponce, A. Inorganic Chemistry, 2010, 49 (10), 4643-4647. [PDF]

Detection of bacterial spores with lanthanide-macrocycle binary complexes.  Cable, M.L.; Kirby, J.P.; Levine, D.J.; Manary, M.J.; Gray, H.B.; Ponce, A.  Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2009, 131 (27), 9562-9570. [PDF]

Rapid endospore viability assay for Clostridium sporogenes spores.  Yang, WW.; Ponce, A.  International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2009, 133, 213-216. [PDF]

Measurement of parts per million level gaseous concentration of hydrogen sulfide by ultraviolet spectroscopy using 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoropentan-2,4-dione as a derivative by reaction of Cu(hfac)(1,5-cyclooctadiene).  Davidson, J.M.; Pikramenou, Z.; Ponce, A.; Winpenny, R.E.P.  Analytical Chemistry, 2009, 81, 3669-3675. [PDF]

Production and characterization of pure spore suspensions of Clostridium sporogenes.  Yang, WW.; Crow-Willard, E.; Ponce, A.  Applied Microbiology, 2009, 106 (1), 27-33. [PDF]

Principles for engineering molecular receptor sites.  Contakes, S.M.; Cable, M.L.; Kirby, J.P.; Ponce, A.  In Bottom-up Nanofabrication: Supramolecules, Self-Assemblies, and Organized Films, Eds. Ariga, K.; Nalwa, H.S., American Scientific Publishers, 2009.

Detection and viability assessment of endospore-forming pathogens.  Ponce, A.; Connon, S.A.; Yung, P.T.  In Principles of Bacterial Detection: Biosensors, Recognition Receptors and Microsystems, Eds. Zourob, M.; Elwary, S.; Turner, A., Springer Science+Business Media, 2008.

Fast sterility assessment by germinable-endospore biodosimetry.  Yung, P.T.; Ponce, A.  Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2008, 74 (24), 7669-7674. [PDF]

Spectroscopic analysis of ligand binding to lanthanide-macrocycle platforms.  Kirby, J.P.; Cable, M.L.; Levine, D.J.; Gray, H.B.; Ponce, A.  Analytical Chemistry, 2008, 80 (15), 5750-5754. [PDF]

Bacterial diversity in hyperarid Atacama Desert soils.  Connon, S.A.; Lester, E.D.; Shafaat, H.S.; Obenhuber, D.C.; Ponce, A.  Journal of Geophysical Research, 2007, 112 (G4): Article No. G04S17. [PDF]

An automated front-end monitor for anthrax surveillance systems based on the rapid detection of airborne endospores.  Yung, P.T.; Lester, E.D.; Bearman, G., Ponce, A.  Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 2007, 98 (4), 864-871. [PDF]

Bacterial spore detection by [Tb3+(macrocycle)(dipicolinate)] luminescence.  Cable, M.L.; Kirby, J.P.; Sorasaenee, K.; Gray, H.B.; Ponce, A.  Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2007, 129, 1474-1475. [PDF]

Quantification of viable endospores from a Greenland ice core.  Yung, P.T.; Shafaat, H.S.; Connon, S.A.; Ponce, A.  FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 2007, 59, 300-306. [PDF] 

Microflora of extreme arid Atacama Desert soils.  Lester, E.D.; Satomi, M.; Ponce, A.  Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 2007, 39, 704-708. [PDF]

Applications of a rapid endospore viability assay for monitoring UV inactivation and characterizing Arctic ice cores.  Shafaat, H.S.; Ponce, A.  Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2006, 72 (10), 6808-6814. [PDF] 

A rapid single spore enumeration assay.  Yung, P.T.; Kempf, M.J.; Ponce, A.  IEEE Aerospace Conference, 4-11 March 2006. [PDF]

Towards an in-situ endospore detection instrument.  Shafaat, H.S.; Cable, M.L.; Ikeda, M.K.; Kirby, J.P.; Pelletier, C.C.; Ponce, A.  IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2005. [PDF]

A second-generation anthrax "smoke detector": An inexpensive front-end monitor that detects airborne bacterial spores.  Lester, E.D.; Bearman, G.; Ponce, A.  IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology, 2004, 23 (1), 130-135. [PDF]

An anthrax smoke detector: Online detection of aerosolized bacterial spores.  Lester, E.D.; Ponce, A.  IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology: Special Biodefense Issue, 2002, 21 (5), 38-42. [PDF]

Lateral-flow immunoassay with DPA-triggered Tb luminescence.  Ponce, A.  NASA Tech Briefs, 2002.

Live/dead spore assay using DPA-triggered Tb luminescence.  Ponce, A.  NASA Tech Briefs, 2002.

Bacterial endospore quantification using lanthanide dipicolinate luminescence.  Ponce, A.; Venkateswaran, K.J.  NASA Tech Briefs, 2002, 26 (7), 56.

Tiger fiber: Long period fiber grating sensor with modulated plastic coating for environmental monitoring.  Kossakovski, D.; Ponce, A.  NASA Tech Briefs, 2002.

   

Fiber-optic transducers for distributed sensing of volatiles: An optical nose.  Ponce, A.; Kossakovski, D.  NASA Tech Briefs, 2001, 25 (6), 33-34.

Electron tunneling in water: Oxidative quenching of electronically excited Ru(tpy)22+ (tpy = 2,2':6,2' '-terpyridine) by ferric ions in aqueous glasses at 77 K.  Ponce, A.; Winkler, J.R.; Gray, H.B.  Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2000, 122, 8187-8191. [PDF]

Electron transfer in ruthenium modified high potential iron-sulfur protein.  Ponce, A.; Di Bilio, A.J.; Winkler, J.R.; Gray, H.B.; Babini, E.; Bertini, I.; Borsari, M.; Capozzi, F.; Luchinat, C.  Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2000, 122, 4532-4533. [PDF]

Electron transfer in proteins and water.  Ponce, A.  Thesis, 2000, California Institute of Technology. [PDF]

pH dependent excited-state dynamics of [Ru(bpy)3]2+ modified amino acids.  Geiser, B,; Ponce, A.; Alsfasser, R.  Inorganic Chemistry, 1999, 38, 2030-2037. [PDF]

Intramolecular electron transfer in cyanide-bridged ruthenium dimers.  Ponce, A.; Bachrach, M.; Farmer, P.J.; Winkler, J.R. Inorganica Chimica Acta (Special Issue), 1996, 243, 135-140. [PDF]

Substrate induced phosphorescence from cyclodextrin/lumophore host-guest complexes.  Hartman, W.; Gray, M.; Ponce, A.; Wong, P.A.; Nocera D.G.  Inorganica Chimica Acta (Special Issue), 1996, 243, 239-248. [PDF]

Hydroxylamine, hydrazine, and diazene as unidentate ligands in osmium and ruthenium complexes.  Cheng, T.Y.; Ponce, A.; Rheingold, A.L.; Hillhouse, G.L.  Angewandte Chemie, 1994, 33, 657-659. [PDF]

Luminescence from supramolecules triggered by the molecular recognition of substrates.  Pikramenou, Z.; Yu, J.A.; Lessard, R.B.; Ponce, A.; Wong, P. A.; Nocera, D.G. Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 1994, 132, 181-194. [PDF]

Intense phosphorescence triggered by alcohols upon formation of a cyclodextrin ternary complex.  Ponce, A.; Wong, P.A.; Way, J.J.; Nocera, D.G. Journal of Physical Chemistry, 1993, 97, 11137-1114. [PDF]

patents

Airborne bacterial spores as an indicator of total biomass.  US Provisional No. 60/691,530.  Priority date: 06/17/2005.

Apparatus and method for automated monitoring of airborne bacterial spores.  US Provisional No. 60/671,918.  Priority date(s): 04/15/2005 and 02/01/2002.  Filing date: 04/14/2006.

Method and apparatus for detecting and quantifying bacterial spores on a surface.  USSN 10/987,202.  Priority date: 11/13/2003.  Filing date: 11/12/2004.

Methods and apparatus for assays of bacterial spores.  USSN 10/355,462.  Priority date: 2/01/2002.  Filing date: 01/31/2003.

Method of bacterial endospore quantification using lanthanide-DPA luminescence.  USSN 10/306,331.  Priority date: 11/30/2001.  Filing date: 11/27/2002.