Seminars Archive

Fall 2023

Department Retreat

Department Retreat

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Shouheng Sun l Brown University

Shouheng Sun l Brown University

Sen Zhang
Hosted by Sen Zhang
Friday, September 29, 2023

Jiang He l UVa, Radiology and Medical Imaging Department

Jiang He l UVa, Radiology and Medical Imaging Department

Jill Venton
Hosted by Jill Venton
Friday, September 15, 2023

Marcos Pires l UVA

Marcos Pires l UVA

Linda Columbus
Hosted by Linda Columbus
Friday, September 8, 2023

Brian Fuglestad l VCU

Brian Fuglestad l VCU

Linda Columbus

“Enhancing investigations of structure, function, and inhibition at the protein-membrane interface”

Abstract: 

Peripheral membrane proteins (PMPs) are water-soluble proteins that bind reversibly to membranes to perform function. Central to a variety of biological and disease processes, PMP functions are diverse, critical to life, and represent promising yet underutilized therapeutic targets. Despite their importance the functional, membrane-bound state of PMPs is typically poorly understood. Due to their relatively small size, the membrane protein revolution ushered in by cryo-EM has largely left PMPs behind. Detailed structural study is often constrained to the nonfunctional, water-solubilized state. While protein NMR is a promising method, a larger toolbox must be developed to improve the evaluation of PMPs in their membrane-bound state.

We have recently developed membrane-mimicking reverse micelles (mmRMs) as NMR-compatible models to house PMPs in their functional state. Use of mmRMs have been applied to a variety of human PMPs including glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPx4) and fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4). For these proteins, certain investigations of their structure, function, and interactions have been improved compared to other membrane models. New insight into high-resolution biological and disease processes gained here has revealed inhibitor design strategies for PMPs. We have applied traditional, aqueous state fragment-based inhibitor design (FBID) methods to the membrane anchoring p47phox-PX domain with promising results. However, for GPx4 and other similar PMPs, targeting the relevant membrane-bound state represents a greater challenge. Fragment screening is highly compatible with mmRMs, allowing GPx4 to be assessed in its functional state. A variety of fragments are revealed to bind in the protein-membrane interface, representing a pool of potential inhibitor building-blocks. Results have also revealed fundamental properties of fragments that bind within the protein-membrane interface, a relatively new mode of inhibition. The addition of mmRMs to the PMP toolbox promises to open new avenues of exploration an inhibition to improve our understanding of this essential category of proteins.

 

Hosted by Linda Columbus
Friday, September 1, 2023

Safety Lecture for New Students

Safety Lecture for New Students

Monday, August 21, 2023

New Student & GC Meeting

New Student & GC Meeting

Monday, August 21, 2023

Deadline for funding requests for OCT-DEC conferences

Deadline for funding requests for OCT-DEC conferences

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Leyte L. Winfield l Spelman College

Leyte L. Winfield l Spelman College

Chem Grads DEI Committee
Hosted by Chem Grads DEI Committee
Friday, April 28, 2023

Summer 2023

Safety Lecture (Faculty & Returning Students)

Safety Lecture (Faculty & Returning Students)

Monday, August 21, 2023

Orientation for New Grads Begins

Orientation for New Grads Begins

Friday, August 11, 2023

DEI Journal Club

DEI Journal Club

We will be meeting in Chem 204 from 2-3pm to discuss the following papers:

(1) “Color-blind or racially conscious? How college science faculty make sense of racial/ethnic underrepresentation in STEM” by Tatiane Russo-Tait

(2) “Evading Race: STEM Faculty Struggle to Acknowledge Racialized Classroom Events” by Gretchen P. King, Tatiane Russo-Tait, and Tessa C. Andrews

Please join us for an open and honest discussion about the findings and underlying themes of this research! Students, postdocs, faculty, and staff are all welcome. There are still open slots for volunteers to present in the following months as well! Check out the link below for more details.

 

Thanks,

Sophie Cook
Graduate Student
Pompano Lab
she/her/hers

 

More info on the journal club:  Following a successful first meeting in May, 2023, we have extended the DEI journal club to a monthly meeting held on the last Wednesday of each month from 2-3pm! This monthly journal club aims to discuss peer-reviewed papers about DEI in STEM across a wide range of topics (e.g. STEM disparities across race, gender, disability, faith, sexuality, etc.). All students, postdocs, staff, and faculty are invited and welcome. Please join us for any or all sessions to learn more about issues that are new to you, and to add your voice on issues you have experience with. We invite anyone to bring your own topic and perspective. This is a volunteer opportunity: You can sign up to lead the conversation in future meetings! Just like for any other paper presentation, no prior expertise is needed. You can learn as you go and help others do the same. To see the schedule, list of ideas for topics, and sign up sheet, click the link below -- just a few slots remain in 2023!  

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12rRA15Bi1qihtcwICaJujZEqsqTKgRE-8BFTCyKvNMI/edit?usp=sharing

If you have any questions, please contact Jon Zatorski (jmz3gm) and Sophie Cook (src3qd), the current organizers of this series.

 

 

 

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Spring 2023

Annual Sidney Hecht Lecture | Dr. Scott Miller, Yale University

Annual Sidney Hecht Lecture | Dr. Scott Miller, Yale University

Professor Sidney Hecht
Hosted by Professor Sidney Hecht
Friday, April 28, 2023

ACS Undergraduate Poster Session

ACS Undergraduate Poster Session

Friday, April 21, 2023

Dr. Sharon Neufeldt | Montana State University

Dr. Sharon Neufeldt | Montana State University

Professor Brent Gunnoe
Hosted by Professor Brent Gunnoe
Friday, April 14, 2023

Dr. Catherine Murphy│UIUC

Dr. Catherine Murphy│UIUC

Prof. Sen Zhang
Hosted by Prof. Sen Zhang
Friday, April 7, 2023

Dr. Kate Waldie l Rutgers University

Dr. Kate Waldie l Rutgers University

Professor Charlie Machan
Hosted by Professor Charlie Machan
Friday, March 31, 2023

Dr. Xingchen Ye | Indiana University, Bloomington

Dr. Xingchen Ye | Indiana University, Bloomington

Professor Sen Zhang
Hosted by Professor Sen Zhang
Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Dr. Wei Liu l University of Cincinnati

Dr. Wei Liu l University of Cincinnati

Professor Brent Gunnoe
Hosted by Professor Brent Gunnoe
Friday, March 17, 2023

David Berkowitz, University of Nebraska – Lincoln

David Berkowitz, University of Nebraska – Lincoln

Professor Cliff Stains
Hosted by Professor Cliff Stains
Friday, February 24, 2023

Dr. Skip Brenzovich | Roanoke College

Dr. Skip Brenzovich | Roanoke College

Professor Rebecca Pompano
Hosted by Professor Rebecca Pompano
Friday, February 17, 2023

Dr. Paul Robustelli I Dartmouth College

Dr. Paul Robustelli I Dartmouth College

Chemistry Graduate Students
Hosted by Chemistry Graduate Students
Friday, February 3, 2023

Annual Burger Lecture | Dr. Benjamin Cravatt | The Scripps Research Institute

Annual Burger Lecture | Dr. Benjamin Cravatt | The Scripps Research Institute

Professor Ken Hsu l Location: GILMER 301

Location: GILMER 301

Hosted by Professor Ken Hsu l Location: GILMER 301
Friday, January 27, 2023

Dr. Wonpil Im l Lehigh University

Dr. Wonpil Im l Lehigh University

Professor Marcos Pires
Hosted by Professor Marcos Pires
Friday, January 20, 2023

Fall 2022

Dr. Isaac Garcia-Bosch l Carnegie Mellon University

Dr. Isaac Garcia-Bosch l Carnegie Mellon University

Prof. Charlie Machan
Hosted by Prof. Charlie Machan
Friday, November 18, 2022

Dr. Cassandra Fraser | UVA

Dr. Cassandra Fraser | UVA

tranSci Lab for Real World Chemistry and Creative Communication |

tranSci Lab for Real World Chemistry and Creative Communication |
Friday, November 11, 2022

Dr. Kevin Welsher│Duke University

Dr. Kevin Welsher│Duke University

Prof. Andreas Gahlmann
Hosted by Prof. Andreas Gahlmann
Friday, November 4, 2022

Dr. Jordy Bouwman | University of Colorado, Boulder

Dr. Jordy Bouwman | University of Colorado, Boulder

Prof. Rob Garrod
Hosted by Prof. Rob Garrod
Friday, October 28, 2022

Dr. Jeff Myers│Davidson College (VIRTUAL SEMINAR)

Dr. Jeff Myers│Davidson College (VIRTUAL SEMINAR)

Prof. John Bushweller
Hosted by Prof. John Bushweller
Friday, October 21, 2022

Dr. Robin T. Garrod│University of Virginia

Dr. Robin T. Garrod│University of Virginia

Professor Eric Herbst
Hosted by Professor Eric Herbst
Friday, October 14, 2022

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