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CONTENTS
From the Chair
Faculty News
Student Awards
Department Events
In Memorium
Thesis Examinations
New BMB Arrivals
Research Awards
Seminar Schedule
Latest Publications
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Dear BMB Nation,
I’d like to extend a warm welcome back to everyone for another academic year. No one probably imagined having to adjust to the prolonged changes to both our personal and work lives that this pandemic has brought. Nonetheless, although I still have some pandemic-induced days that are frustrating, I see how science has battled Covid and become energized that our scientific work will make a difference in the world. I have not been here long, but already I see the support each of you give to your colleagues, classmates, and friends. My transition here to this department has equally been smooth due to the friendly environment and interactions with everyone. Thank you again to John Cooper for all of his prior leadership for this department. Science has moved forward within the department despite all the hurdles and distractions thrown your way over the last year (just see all the recent publications!), and I expect the department to continue all of this outstanding work. This coming year will bring some new changes and opportunities, all with the goal of enhancing our BMB scientific community. I hope everyone realizes that even the smallest of effort and participation can make a huge impact, and I encourage everyone to have your voice heard in all we do this year. Looking forward to working with you!
Best,
Ben
Benjamin A. Garcia, Ph.D., FRSC.
Raymond H. Wittcoff Distinguished Professor and Chair
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Faculty Spotlight - Dr. Michael Greenberg
The Heart of Research
As we uncover previously unknown truths about the world surrounding us, scientific research becomes more complex making interdisciplinary research vital to the progress of human health.
Dr. Michael Greenberg is an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics who has made the very core of his lab interdisciplinary in nature. Greenberg’s lab is at the epicenter of biochemistry, biophysics, and cellular biology. His lab studies cytoskeletal motors using physics to explain cellular movements.
To continue reading, please click here.
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Dr. Elliot Elson elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Elliot L. Elson, PhD, an emeritus professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Elson is among 120 new members and 30 international associates elected to the National Academy of Sciences this year. Election to the academy is considered one of the highest honors that can be awarded to a U.S. scientist or engineer. The newest members, announced April 26, bring the total number of active members to 2,461 and the number of international members to 511. International members hold citizenship outside the U.S. and are nonvoting members of the academy.
To read the full story, please click here.
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Dr. Michael Kinch published a new book entitled:
"The Price of Health - The Modern Pharmaceutical Enterprise and the Betrayal of a History of Care"
From "pharma bros" to everyday household budgets, just how did the pharmaceutical industry betray its own history—and how can it return to its tradition of care?
It’s an unfortunate and life-threatening fact: one in five Americans has skipped vital prescriptions simply because of the cost. These choices are being made even though we have reached a point in the conveyance of medical options where cancers can be cured and sight restored for those blinded by rare genetic disorders. How, in this time of such advancements, did we reach a point where people cannot afford the very things that could save their lives?
To continue reading the book description, please click here.
NPR Media Appearance on April 15, 2021, with St Louis Public Radio, St Louis on the Air, please click here to listen.
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Dr. Michael Kinch and COVID-19
Throughout the 2021 year, Dr. Michael Kinch lent his expertise in drug and vaccine development to various media outlets through interviews, essays, opinion pieces, and publications.
To view any of those activities, please click here.
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Folding@home project has created the first exascale computer
The Folding@home project, lead by Dr. Greg Bomwan, has created the world’s first exascale computer (5x the performance of the world’s fastest supercomputer) and used it to help understand how the SARS-CoV-2 virus evades our immune systems. This feat was covered by various media outlets, including Forbes, the Financial Times, and NPR.
To view those features, please click on the links below.
The Financial Times, please click here.
Forbes, please click here.
NPR, please click here
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Washington University School of Medicine Admissions Recognition
Dr. Kathleen Hall was promoted to serve as a senior member of the Washington University School of Medicine Committee on Admissions in recognition of her contributions and dedication to the WUSM Admissions process.
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2021 Ceil M. DeGutis Prize Fellow:
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Mr. Gregory Harrison is a 5th year PhD student in the Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis program. His current research in the lab of Dr. Christina Stallings focuses on drug resistance and drug tolerance in the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. He grew up just outside of Chicago and moved to St. Louis to attend Washington University in St. Louis for his undergraduate degree in molecular biology. During his undergraduate studies, he joined the lab of Dr. Barbara Kunkel, where he studied mechanisms by which the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae senses and responds to the molecular signals within the plant.
For more information on Gregory, please click here.
The DeGutis award is presented to a senior graduate student, in their fifth or sixth year of graduate study, who has made a significant contribution to the field of Chemical Biology or Medicinal Chemistry disciplines broadly defined.
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2020 Elliot Elson Fellow:
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Mr. Matthew A. Cruz joined the lab of Dr. Gregory Bowman in the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics where he studies the relationship between an ebolavirus protein's structural dynamics and its function. Through computational and experimental techniques he is measuring how changes in protein dynamics affect RNA binding. Matthew is applying this research to find drugs that disrupt protein dynamics to combat ebolavirus infections.
Matthew received his B.S. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from Rice University in 2017. He then joined the Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis as part of the Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology program.
For more information on Matthew, please click here.
In 2016, this award was created to recognize the outstanding contributions of Dr. Elson as a mentor and educator of researchers in training. This award supports educational opportunities for outstanding students and post-doctoral trainees in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics.
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Working Smarter - Strategic Planning and Time Management Basics Session
On March 5th, 2021, Dr. Thi Nguyen presented a workshop on “Working Smarter – Strategic Planning & Time Management Basics”.
To watch this presentation, please click here.
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BMB Wellness Session
On April 28, 2021, the Department hosted a special session entitled “Evidence-based Practices that Support Mental and Emotional Well-being”. Ms. Krista Jarvis, Clinical Case Manager and Program Manager in the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University, walked the group through five different evidence-based practices for our mental and emotional well-being. These practices are designed to help each individual feel empowered to utilize a variety of simple techniques for stress reduction in these challenging times.
If you would like to view this session, please click here.
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Dr. Linda Kurz, Emeritus Research Faculty Member, 88
Dr. Linda Kurz, emeritus research faculty member of our department, died on December 17, 2020, at home in rural Franklin County. She was 74.
Dr. Kurz worked with Drs. Carl Frieden and George Drysdale for many years, investigating enzyme mechanisms. She was a true biochemist, as hard-core as they come. She retired a few years ago, and many of us overlapped with her for a substantial period of time. I believe she gets credit for the sign on the Frieden lab door saying “if we knew what we were doing, it wouldn’t be research.”
To read more, including remembrances from colleagues click here.
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Sarah Clippinger Schulte in the Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology program in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Greenberg. Her thesis was entitled "Dissecting the Molecular Mechanism of Familial Cardiomyopathies".
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George Katumba in the Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology program in the laboratory of Dr. Jeff Henderson. His thesis was entitled "Copper-mediated Regulation of a Traditional Iron Acquisition System in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli".
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Catherine Knoverek in the Computational & Molecular Biophysics program in the laboratory of Dr. Greg Bowman. Her thesis was entitled "The Role of Excited States in Determining β-lactamase Function and Bacterial Fitness".
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Patrick Judge in the Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology program in the laboratory of Dr. Alexander Barnes. His thesis was entitled "Method Development for Enhancing Sensitivity of Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy for Structural Studies of PKC-Drug Interactions".
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Kacey Mersch in the Molecular Physiology and Biophysics program (University of Iowa) in the laboratory of Dr. Janice Robertson. His thesis was entitled "Protein Determinants of CLC-ec1 Dimerization".
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BMB Department Welcomes...
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Soumendranatha Bhakat - Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Gerg Bowman's lab.
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Natarajan Bhanu - Lab Manager in Dr. Benjamin Garcia's lab.
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Zhenfu Han -Senior Scientist in Dr. Jim Janetka's lab.
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Kimberly Hughes - Special Project Administrator in the Department Administration office.
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Xingyu Liu - Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Benjamin Garcia's lab.
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Peder Lund - Postdoctoral Researcher in Dr. Benjamin Garcia's lab.
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Mariana Lund - Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Benjamin Garcia's lab.
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Faith Robison - Mass Spectrometry Manager in Dr. Benjamin Garcia's lab.
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Louis Smith - Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Greg Bowman's lab.
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Yixuan (Axe) Xie - Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Benjamin Garcia's lab.
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Lianjie (Jerry) Wei - Graduate Student in Dr. Natalie Niemi's lab.
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Jin Ye - Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Weikai Li's lab.
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Jianwei Zeng - Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Rui Zhang's lab.
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Research Awards
Jhullian Jamille Alston, BA, Pre-Doc Trainee in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, and the laboratories of Alex Holehouse, PhD and Andrea Soranno, PhD, received a Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award from the National Cancer Institute for his research entitled “Single Molecule Biophysics of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins in Disease”.
Greg Bowman, PhD, Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, along with Guojun Bu, Professor of Medicine and chair of the Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, received a five-year U19 Research Program – Cooperative Agreement Award from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, entitled “Biology and pathobiology of apoE in aging and Alzheimer's disease”. Dr. Bowman is leader of the project’s biochemical & structural biology core.
Peter M. Burgers, PhD, Marvin A. Brennecke Professor of Biological Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics was awarded a five-year MIRA grant renewal from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences for his research entitled “Mechanisms of DNA replication and maintenance in eukaryotes”.
Matthew A Cruz, BS, Pre-Doc Trainee in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, and the laboratory of Gregory Bowman, PhD, received a new three-year fellowship award from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for his research entitled “Leveraging protein dynamics to drug filovirus protein-nucleic acid interactions using simulations and experiments”.
Roberto Galletto, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics was awarded a new five-year MIRA grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences for his research entitled “Functions of DNA helicases at hard-to-replicate sites and telomere regulation”.
Benjamin Garcia, PhD, Raymond H. Wittcoff Distinguished Professor and Head of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, along with Matthew D. Weitzman, PhD, Professor of Microbiology and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, received a five-year grant renewal from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for their research entitled “Viral modulation of epitranscriptomic mechanisms”.
Benjamin Garcia, PhD, Raymond H. Wittcoff Distinguished Professor and Head of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, along with Philip A Cole, MD, PhD, Professor of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School, received a new three-year grant award from The National Science Foundation for their research entitled “Collaborative Research: MFB: Deciphering the Logic of PTM Crosstalk via Novel Chemical Technology: Histones and Beyond”.
Daniel Griffith, BS, Pre-Doc Trainee in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, and the laboratory of Alex Holehouse, PhD, received a new three-year Graduate Research Fellowship award from the National Science Foundation for his research entitled “Investigating the molecular grammar driving the assembly of membraneless-organelles”.
Alex Holehouse, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, along with Shahar Sukenik, Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of California, Merced, and Thomas Boothby, Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, received a new four-year grant award from the National Science Foundation through the new “Integrative Research in Biology” mechanism for their research entitled “Collaborative Research: Functional Synergy Between Disordered Proteins and their Environment in Desiccation Protection”.
Jim Janetka, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, along with Scott Hultgren, Helen L. Stoever Professor of Molecular Microbiology, Michael Caparon, Professor of Molecular Microbiology, Peng Yuan, Associate Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology, and Ali Ellebedy, Associate Professor of Pathology and Immunology received a five-year U19 Research Program--Cooperative Agreement Award from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases entitled “Innovative Strategies to Combat Antibiotic-resistant Infections”. Dr. Janetka is leader of the project scientific core named “Rational Design and Synthesis of Small Molecule Inhibitors Targeting Unique Pathogenic Mechanisms in Gram- and Gram+ Bacteria Important in UTI”.
Jim Janetka, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Makedonka Mitreva, Professor of Medicine and Genetics, and Raffi Aroian, Professor of Molecular Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School have received a new multi-PI R01 award from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases entitled “Development of small molecule inhibitors of metabolic enzymes as broad-spectrum anthelmintic drugs”.
Natalie M. Niemi, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, received a one-year pilot and feasibility grant award from the Washington University Diabetes Research Center (DRC), sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) for her research entitled “The role of the mitochondrial phosphatase Pptc7 in enabling metabolic flexibility”.
Janice L Robertson, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics received a four-year renewal from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences for her research entitled “Driving forces of membrane protein assembly in membranes”.
Andrea Soranno, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Carl Frieden, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, and Rui Zhang, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics will collaborate in the Project named “ApoE isoform-specific structure: insights on biology and pathobiology”. The Project is part of the newly awarded five-year U19 Research Program from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Aging, entitled “Biology and pathobiology of apoE in aging and Alzheimer’s disease”, helmed by Dr. David Holtzman, Professor and Chair of Neurology at Washington University, in St Louis, and Dr. Guojun Bu, Professor of Medicine and Chair of Neuroscience at the Mayo Clinic.
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