Introducing Our Authors Cite This: ACS Chem. Biol. 2018, 13, 1−3
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JOSHUA BACCILE
ESHAN KHAN
Image courtesy of Neha Jain.
Image courtesy of Samuel Ho.
Education. 2010, B.Sc. Biology, Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar University; 2012, M.Sc. Biotechnology, Amity University, Lucknow Current Position. Ph.D. Candidate, Centre of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Advisor: Dr. Amit Kumar Nonscientific Interests. Traveling, watching movies, cricket, spending time with family and friends My project focuses on therapeutic approaches targeting the repeats contained in RNAs that cause neurological disorders. My thesis project is based on the screening of various small molecules against trinucleotide repeat-containing RNAs. The study involves different biophysical studies, structural aspects using NMR spectroscopy, and testing those molecules in cellular and animal models. In this paper, we identified a small molecule, a flavonoid, against mutant CAG RNA, which causes Huntington disease (HD). We resolved the structure of the complex of the small molecule and RNA using NR spectroscopy and further validated the results in HD cellular and animal models. (Read Eshan’s article DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00699.)
Education. 2011, B.S. Chemistry, SUNY Cortland, Advisor: Prof. Frank Rossi; 2017, Ph.D. Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Advisor: Prof. Frank C. Schroeder Current Position. Postdoctoral Scholar at Caltech in the lab of Prof. David Tirrell Nonscientific Interests. Weightlifting, swimming, snowboarding, reading, movies, and motorcycling The focus of my doctoral research applied analytical chemistry approaches for a comprehensive annotation of cryptic biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in filamentous fungi. Central to my efforts was the use of 2D-NMR and HPLC-MS-based comparative metabolomics. Correlating changes in fungal metabolomes with genetic modification of BGCs enabled the synchronous
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discovery of new chemical species and enzymatic activity. In this paper, we expanded the recently emerging class of natural prod-
SUBODH KUMAR MISHRA
ucts, fungal isoquinolines, to include the imizoquins from the imq cluster in the plant pathogenic fungus Aspergillus f lavus. Beyond detailing imq biogenesis, we discovered a functional basis for the imizoquins through characterizing antagonistic cross-talk with the ralstonins of the bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum. While thousands of natural products have been described, their functions within the producing organisms are largely unknown. I believe efforts to bridge this gap, such as our study of the imizoquins, will be important for sustained agriculture, bioImage courtesy of Prativa Majee.
technology, and drug discovery. (Read Joshua’s article DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00731.) © 2018 American Chemical Society
Published: January 19, 2018 1
DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00020 ACS Chem. Biol. 2018, 13, 1−3
ACS Chemical Biology
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Education. 2009, B.Sc. Biology and Chemistry, Firoj Gandhi College; 2011, M.Sc. Bioinformatics, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University Current Position. Ph.D. Candidate, Centre of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Advisor: Dr. Amit Kumar Nonscientific Interests. Involvement in intellectual activity, cricket, and writing poetry I have been focused on the development of promising therapeutics for expanded repeat RNA-associated neurological disorders, such as Huntington disease (HD), fragile X syndrome (FXS), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In this paper, we targeted the expanded r(CAG)n RNA that causes HD and spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) and found myricetin as the lead compound. The selectivity and specificity of myricetin was evaluated using several biophysical studies such as fluorescence binding assay and UV and CD spectroscopy. The binding interaction of myricetin with CAG RNA was studied using NMR spectroscopy. The therapeutic potential of myricetin was further validated in cellular and animal models of HD. These findings highlight the potential of myricetin as a possible therapeutic agent against HD and SCAs. (Read Sobodh’s article DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00699.)
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Introducing Our Authors
RANIA S. SULAIMAN
Image courtesy of Joshua Lebherz.
Education. 2006, Hon. B.Sc. Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cairo University; 2016, Ph.D. Pharmacology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Advisor: Prof. Timothy W. Corson Current Position. Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Signal Transduction Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Chief: Prof. John Cidlowski Nonscientific Interests. Travel, food, nature, and spending time with family and friends During my doctoral study, I worked on the evaluation of the mechanistic and therapeutic potential of a novel antiangiogenic small molecule, SH-11037. We characterized SH-11037’s therapeutic potential in vivo using a mouse model of choroidal neovascularization. Then, we used chemical biology tools to investigate its target in an unbiased fashion. We identified soluble epoxide hydrolase as a target of SH-11037 and confirmed this by other biochemical approaches discussed in our paper. One of the great advantages of chemical biology is the chance to identify novel targets and thereby unravel new mechanisms not only to be targeted therapeutically but also to help us further understand the complexity of disease pathology. (Read Rania’s article DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00854.)
BOMINA PARK
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Image courtesy of Bomina Park.
Education. 2016, B.S. Biochemistry, Idaho State University, Advisors: Dr. Kenneth J. Rodnick and Dr. Robert W. Holman Current Position. Ph.D. Student, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Advisor: Prof. Timothy W. Corson Nonscientific Interests. Food, hiking, music, politics, friends and family I am fascinated by multidisciplinary aspects of chemical biology and solving big problems with small molecules. My doctoral research focuses on investigation of the role of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) in ocular neovascularization and characterization of novel therapeutic compounds for neovascular eye diseases. In the Corson laboratory, we previously developed the novel antiangiogenic homoisoflavonoid SH-11037. Here, we used SH-11037-based affinity reagents to identify sEH as a binding partner of SH-11037 using chemical proteomics. Then, we investigated the expression and activity of sEH and dissected enzyme inhibition mechanisms using molecular dynamics simulations and kinetic analyses. (Read Bomina’s article DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00854.)
ANGIE C. UMAÑ A
Image courtesy of Angie C. Umaña.
Education. 2010, B.S. Molecular and Cellular Biology with a Chemistry Minor, University of Illinois, Advisor: Dr. Rutilio Fratti; 2017, Ph.D. Microbiology, University of Wisconsin, Advisor: Dr. Robert F. Kalejta Current Position. Analyst, Catalent Pharma Solutions 2
DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00020 ACS Chem. Biol. 2018, 13, 1−3
ACS Chemical Biology
Introducing Our Authors
Nonscientific Interests. Playing with my daughter, eating, salsa dancing, and spin classes My Ph.D. work focused on a family of kinases encoded by the human herpesviruses. These kinases mimic cellular cyclin dependent kinases involved in cell cycle regulation and have proven to be important for efficient viral replication, making them attractive targets for antivirals. In our ACS Chemical Biology study, we focused on two of these kinases, encoded by the human cytomegalovirus and Epstein−Barr virus. We utilized a chemical genetics approach to identify novel viral kinase substrates and generated gatekeeper mutants that can be specifically inhibited. For the Epstein−Barr virus encoded kinase, we report a list of novel kinase substrates involved in a wide range of cellular functions. Our work not only has provided evidence of novel pathways these important kinases could be regulating during infection but also presents an opportunity to extend this approach to other members of the human herpesviral kinase family. (Read Angie’s article DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00972.)
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DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00020 ACS Chem. Biol. 2018, 13, 1−3
