Education

Ph.D. - University of Houston (1970)
B.S./M.S. - Stephen F. Austin State College (1961-1968)

Professional Interests

Academic interests are in the biochemistry and physiology of fungi with a focus on lipid biochemistry specifically the distribution and structural evolution of sterols and nutritionally important polyunsaturated fatty acids

As Executive Director of the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation (ARTF) he is responsible for the overall development and operation of the Auburn Research Park.  His responsibilities include strategic planning, marketing and communications, budget development and management, overseeing construction projects, and recruiting tenants to the park.   

As Assistant Vice President for Technology Transfer and Commercialization, he is responsible for providing leadership for the commercialization of intellectual properties generated by Auburn University faculty and students, and includes strategic and budgetary planning, and facilitating university/industry collaborations.

Previous Positions

Dr. Weete served as the Vice President for Research and Economic Development at West Virginia University (WVU) and President of the West Virginia University Research Corporation from 1998 to 2007.   He was also the legislative liaison between the university and congressional delegation in Washington, D.C.

He also served on the faculty and as an administrator at Auburn University from 1973 to 1998.  He was a Professor in the Department of Botany and Microbiology, Associate Dean for Research in the College of Science and Mathematics, and an Alumni Professor.  

Selected Publications

Laseter, J.L., Weete, J.D. Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters of Rhizopus arrhizus. Science 172:864-865 (1971)

Weete, J.D., C.H. Walkinshaw, J.L. Laseter. Apollo 12 Lunar Material: Effects on Lipid Levels of Tobacco Tissue Cultures. Science 175:623-624 (1972)

Weete, J.D. "Fungal Lipid Biochemistry".  Plenum Press, New York (1974) pp. 392.

Weete, J.D. "Lipid Biochemistry of Fungi and Other Organisms". Plenum Press, New York (1980) pp.388.

Weete, J.D.  Algal and Fungal Waxes. In:  Chemistry and Biochemistry of Natural Waxes (P.E. Kolattukudy, ed.), Elsevier, Amsterdam pp.349‑418 (1976).

Weete, J.D.  Structure and function of sterols in fungi.  Adv. Lipid Res. 23:115‑167 (1989).

Weete, J.D. and S. Gandhi.  Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Fungal Sterols, pp 421-438 in the Mycota III: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. (R. Brambl and G. Marzluf, eds), Vol. 3 Springer-Verlag, Berlin (1996).

Weete, J.D. Microbial Lipases, pp. 641-664 in Food Lipids (Akoh, C. and D. Min, eds.) Marcel Dekker, New York (1998).

Touze‑Soulet, J.M., J.D. Weete, M. Sancholle, J. Rami, R. Dargent. Influence of biotin on the lipid composition of plasma membranes from Hypomyces chlorinus  Tul. Biochem. Cell Biol. 68:138‑144 (1990).

Weete, J.D., M. Sancholle, K.A. Patterson, K.S. Miller, M.Q. Huang, F. Campbell, M. Van den Reek. Fatty acid metabolism in Taphrina deformans treated with sterol biosynthesis inhibitors.  Lipids 26(8):669‑674 (1991).

Gandhi, S. and J.D. Weete.  Production of the polyunsaturated fatty acids arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid by the fungus Pythium ultimum. J. Gen. Microbiology 137:1825‑1830 (1991).

Weete, J.D., S. Gandhi, H. Kim, Y. Wang and R.R. Dute.  Lipids and ultrastructure of Thraustochytrium sp, ATCC 26185, Lipids 32:839-845 (1997).

Weete, J.D. and S.R. Gandhi.  Sterols of the phylum zygomycota: Phylogenetic implications.  Lipids 32:1309-1316 (1997).

Weete, J.D., F. Shewmaker, and S.R. Gandhi. Lipids of Syzygites megalocarpus.  J. Amer. Oil Chem. Soc. 75:1367-1372 (1998).

Kim, H.,S. R. Gandhi, R. Moreau and J.D. Weete. Lipids of Haliphthoros philippinensis: An oomycetous marine microbe. J. Amer. Oil Chem. Soc.  75:1657-1665 (1998).

Weete, J.D. and S.R. Gandhi.  Sterols and fatty acids of the Mortierellaceae: Taxonomic implications. Mycologia 91(4):642-649 (1999).

Huang, Y., R. Locy, J.D. Weete. Purification and characterization of an extracellular lipase from Geotrichum marinum. Lipids 39:251-257 (2004).

Weete J.D., M. Abril, M. Blackwell. (2010) Phylogenetic Distribution of Fungal Sterols. PLoS ONE 5(5):e10899. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0010899