Seminars Archive

2024

Visitation Event for Admitted Students

Visitation Event for Admitted Students

Friday, March 15, 2024

Spring 2024

Visitation Event for Admitted Students

Visitation Event for Admitted Students

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Deadline: Requests for APR-JUNE Conference Funds

Deadline: Requests for APR-JUNE Conference Funds

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Spring 2023

Jarrod A. Marto I DFCI & Harvard Medical School

Jarrod A. Marto I DFCI & Harvard Medical School

Jill Venton

“Leveraging Chemoproteomic Tools to Drive Discovery in Chemical Biology”

Abstract: Despite tremendous advances and powerful tools from the human genome project, our understanding of the human proteome is uneven at best. In fact, estimates suggest that we know almost nothing about some 30-35% of human proteins, while less than 5% have been successfully prosecuted in drug discovery programs. Across the landscape of protein-targeting small molecules, covalency has re-emerged as a favorable route to achieve selective, potent, and durable protein modulation. Here I will describe our efforts to develop and use chemoproteomic tools to streamline characterization of covalent compounds. Exemplary data for both well-established and emergent target families in the functional proteome will be presented along with new avenues for reagent and analytical method development.

Professional Biography: Jarrod Marto, Ph.D., is a Principal Investigator at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the Department of Cancer Biology and an Associate Professor of Pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Since 2006 Dr. Marto has served as Director of the Blais Proteomics Center at Dana-Farber and more recently launched the Center for Emergent Drug Targets. Dr. Marto is internationally recognized for his expertise in the development and use of state-of-the-art mass spectrometry and other bioanalytical techniques to understand how genomic alterations as well as the activity of chemical probes or clinical drugs manifest at the level of individual proteins, signaling pathways, or other compartments throughout the functional proteome. Dr. Marto has authored nearly 200 peer-reviewed papers across the fields of bioanalytical chemistry, scientific instrumentation, mass-informatics, chemical biology, and cancer cell signaling. In addition, he is a founding member of Entact Bio and serves on the SAB of 908 Devices. Dr. Marto earned his Ph.D. in analytical chemistry with Alan Marshall at The Ohio State University and went on to postdoctoral studies with Don Hunt at the University of Virginia. Dr. Marto joined the faculty at Dana-Farber in 2004.

Hosted by Jill Venton
Friday, February 23, 2024

Aaron May l VCU

Aaron May l VCU

Cliff Stains
Hosted by Cliff Stains
Friday, February 16, 2024

Candidacy Exams

Candidacy Exams

Friday, February 9, 2024

Candidacy Exams

Candidacy Exams

Thursday, February 8, 2024

Candidacy Exams

Candidacy Exams

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Candidacy Exams

Candidacy Exams

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Candidacy Exams

Candidacy Exams

Monday, February 5, 2024

Jordan Harshman l Auburn University

Jordan Harshman l Auburn University

Marilyne Stains
Hosted by Marilyne Stains
Friday, February 2, 2024

Robert Comito l University of Houston

Robert Comito l University of Houston

Charlie Machan
Hosted by Charlie Machan
Friday, January 26, 2024

CANCELLED: Leyte Winfield l Spelman College

CANCELLED: Leyte Winfield l Spelman College

GSC and Graduate Student DEI Committee
Hosted by GSC and Graduate Student DEI Committee
Friday, January 19, 2024

Fall 2023

Damien Thevenin l Lehigh University

Damien Thevenin l Lehigh University

Marcos Pires
Hosted by Marcos Pires
Friday, November 17, 2023

Deadline: funding requests for JAN-MAR Conferences

Deadline: funding requests for JAN-MAR Conferences

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Paul Wagenknecht l Furman University

Paul Wagenknecht l Furman University

Dean Harman

Design Strategies for Luminescent Titanocenes

Abstract: Complexes of d0 transition metals with photoactive ligand-to-metal charge-transfer (LMCT) excited states have recently shown significant promise as photocatalysts involving earth-abundant metals.  Arylethynyltitanocenes of the type Cp2Ti(C2R)2 (where R = ferrocene or an aryl substituent) have recently been investigated for their C2R-to-TiIV LMCT states.  The first example of a TiIV complex with an emissive (FP ~ 10–4) ligand-to-TiIV LMCT state in RT fluid solution is Cp2Ti(C2Ph)2.  However, this complex undergoes photodecomposition with a high quantum yield (Frxn = 0.99). Coordination of CuX between the alkyne ligands to give Cp2Ti(C2Ph)2CuX (X = Cl or Br) has been shown to significantly increase the photostability, but such complexes are not emissive in RT solution.  The mechanisms for photodecomposition and nonradiative decay have been investigated and have led to design strategies for luminescent titanocenes.  Based on these strategies, we have developed titanocenes with increased photostability, and whose luminescence is visible to the naked eye in room-temperature fluid solution.

Bio: Paul obtained his B.S. in Chemistry from Furman University in 1986 and his Ph. D. from Stanford University in 1991.  Following postdoctoral studies at Colorado State University, he accepted a one-year adjunct teaching position at Occidental College in Los Angeles before beginning a tenure track position at San Jose State University in 1996. In 2004, he moved back to his alma mater, Furman University. Over his career, he has secured nearly $3 million in external funding for support of undergraduate research in his group and the chemistry department.  Since beginning his independent career with undergraduate researchers, he has published nearly 40 peer-reviewed research articles (mostly with undergraduate coauthors) and two patents. He is the recipient of the Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (2003), the South Carolina Governor’s Award for Excellence in Scientific Research (2020), and the Council on Undergraduate Research ChemCUR Outstanding Mentorship Award (2022). When not in the classroom or laboratory, he enjoys competing on the tennis courts, honing his BBQ skills, and trying to learn guitar.

Hosted by Dean Harman
Friday, November 10, 2023

Mike McGuirk l Colorado School of Mines

Mike McGuirk l Colorado School of Mines

Charlie Machan
Hosted by Charlie Machan
Friday, October 27, 2023

Graham Lecture: Greg Bowman l University of Pennsylvania

Graham Lecture: Greg Bowman l University of Pennsylvania

Kateri DuBay
Hosted by Kateri DuBay
Thursday, October 19, 2023

Ned West l Eastman Chemical Company

Ned West l Eastman Chemical Company

Brent Gunnoe
Hosted by Brent Gunnoe
Friday, October 13, 2023

Gwathmey Lecture: Arthur Suits l University of Missouri

Gwathmey Lecture: Arthur Suits l University of Missouri

Eric Herbst
Hosted by Eric Herbst
Friday, October 6, 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

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

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