Category Archives: Biochemistry

Biochemistry

Anthony Rizzuto named A.L. Hook Emerging Professor in Science and Mathematics – Today at Elon

Rizzuto, an assistant professor of chemistry, has been recognized for his record of scholarship and professional activity as well as his mentorship of students.

Anthony Rizzuto, an assistant professor of chemistry, has been named the A.L. Hook Emerging Professor in Science and Mathematics.

The professorship, which has a three-year term, is awarded to a member of the faculty who has ongoing, active scholarship, has a history of mentoring undergraduate research and has demonstrated the ability to impact students, their department and the university. Dabrowskis selection follows a committee review and recommendation, with the professorship appointed by the provost.

Rizzuto joined the faculty at Elon in fall 2017 following the completion of his doctorate in physical chemistry at the University of California in Berkeley, California. Rizzuto graduated magna cum laude from Elon in 2011, and as a student was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and received the Senior Chemistry Achievement Award as the top graduating chemistry senior.

A dedicated mentor, Rizzuto has supported the undergraduate research of 12 students including three Elon College Fellows, three SURE fellows and a Glen-Raven scholar. Those research pairings have resulted in more than a dozen regional and national conference presentations, multiple external grant awards and numerous manuscripts prepared for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Our students are the next generation of leaders in the scientific community, and as such I have endeavored to foster a broad-reaching, collaborative research environment while encouraging the intersection of chemistry, biochemistry, environmental science and engineering, Rizzuto said of his approach to mentorship.

As a scholar, Rizzuto has co-authored five papers in high-impact publications, thanks in part to maintaining collaborations with colleagues at UC Berkeley. The Hook professorship will provide Rizzuto with additional time as well as resources to advance his research conducted with undergraduates in the area of spectroscopy and expose student researchers to equipment and concepts they might not otherwise become familiar with.

In her remarks before Rizzuto was recognized with the professorship during Opening Day ceremonies, Professor of Chemistry Kathy Matera noted that he was an engaged student who started at Elon thinking he would study history before becoming immersed in chemistry. Today, Tony is on the other side of the fence, and he is a highly sought-after research mentor, Matera said during the event in Schar Center. Tony encompasses the teacher-scholar-mentor model that he saw as a student and he now embraces as a chemistry professor.

Tommy Holmes and Harris L. Hendricks, Elon alumni, established the A.L. Hook Emerging Scholar Professorship in Science and Mathematics to honor former physics and mathematics professor, Alonzo Lohr Hook, and to support science, research and student involvement at Elon. Previous faculty members who have held the professorship are Crista Arangala, Kyle Altmann, Kathryn Matera, Chad Awtrey and Jennifer Dabrowski.

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Anthony Rizzuto named A.L. Hook Emerging Professor in Science and Mathematics - Today at Elon

Biochemistry

U of U Health awarded $28M to explore HIV’s inner workings | @theU – @theU

A University of Utah Health-led multi-institutional research center that studies the inner workings and vulnerabilities of HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS, recently received a five-year, $28 million grant renewal from the National Institutes of Health.

Since its founding in 2007, theCHEETAH Center for Structural Biology of HIV Infection Restriction and Viral Dynamicshas published more than 300 research papers that have led to a better understanding of HIV and its potential treatments.

Wesley Sundquist, the centers director and professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry at U of U Health, is leading 20 research teams from 12 institutions. With the grant renewal, the researchers will focus on:

Wesley Sundquist, CHEETAH director. Photo credit: Charlie Ehlert.

The outstanding science stemming from this program is changing an understanding of HIV/AIDS, other viral diseases, and cellular biology, enabling the development of novel therapeutics such as lenacapavir and D-peptide inhibitors, saysRachel Hess, associate vice president for research at U of U Health, referring to two investigational drugs with roots in CHEETAH.

Just a half-century ago, HIV infection almost inevitably led to serious illness and death. Todays antiretroviral therapies can suppress the virus and prevent symptoms, but improvement is still needed. If these drugs arent taken daily, the virus can rebound and acquire drug resistance. The medicines can also cause difficult side effects. The underpinnings for two new investigational drugs that could help circumvent these issues are based on years of research by CHEETAH scientists.

Research from CHEETAH investigators Debra Eckert (left) and Michael Kay (right), and Wesley Sundquist and Christopher Hill (not pictured) and their teams have led to two investigational HIV drugs that are now being tested in clinical trials. Photo credit: Charlie Ehlert.

Research from Sundquist, Christopher Hill, distinguished biochemistry professor at U of U Health and other CHEETAH Center labs on the HIV capsida structure they found is vital for different steps of the HIV life cyclelaid the groundwork that led the pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences to identify the capsid inhibitor lenacapavir. This investigational drug is now in phase 3 clinical trials and is already showing great promiseas a potent, long-acting treatment.

Taking a different approach,Michael Kay, CHEETAH investigator and biochemistry professor, andDebra Eckert, biochemistry research assistant professor, used synthetic chemistry to design a D-peptide inhibitor called CPT31 thatjams HIVs infection machinery. The molecule is now in phase 1 clinical trials sponsored by Navigen, Inc.

Often people forget that drug development builds from basic research, Sundquist says. These are two more cases where that has happened, and it is very satisfying.

CHEETAH continues to bring an understanding of HIV, related viruses and host biology in new directions through collaborations between its scientists, who come from a variety of disciplines. The CHEETAH Center is doing exciting, interdisciplinary science in a collaborative environment that allows us to accomplish projects that wouldnt otherwise be possible in any single lab, says Pamela Bjorkman, a professor of biology and biological engineering at Caltech.

Nels Elde, professor of human genetics at U of U Health, turns to evolution for inspiration, noting that many animals are not as susceptible as humans to disease caused by HIV. He is collaborating with fellow CHEETAH scientists to explore whether a gene found in mice and squirrel monkeys that prevents HIV from exiting cells after replicating could become the basis for anew type of antiviral.

Nature has done seemingly countless billions of experiments that got us to where we are today, Elde says. Can we learn from whats happened and borrow and deploy them in ways that are useful?

At 130 nanometers, HIV is about 60 times smaller than a red blood cell. Advances in cryo-electron microscopy (left) and molecular modeling (right) have made it possible to see the virus in unprecedented detail. Image credit: Owen Pornillos, Barbie Ganser-Pornillos.

By contrast, Owen Pornillos, a CHEETAH investigator from the University of Virginia who received his doctorate from the U, takes advantage of his biochemistry expertise to take a different approach. In a collaborative project with several CHEETAH Center members, he is removing the virus from the complex environment of the host cell and bringing it to the test tube. By adding back specific ingredients a few at a time, the team is identifying key virus and host cell components that are essential for early stages of viral infection and replication. Combining this approach with new microscope technologies is allowing them to visualize these steps with unprecedented clarity.

CHEETAH is committed to doing excellent science and is always planning for where we envision the field will be five years from now, Pornillos says. Its exciting to be a part of it.

These diverse tactics are providing valuable insights into virology and biology, and uncovering targets for new types of therapeutic intervention.

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U of U Health awarded $28M to explore HIV's inner workings | @theU - @theU

Biochemistry

Meet this year’s Baylor Faculty-in-Residence – Baylor University

A distinguishing part of the Baylor experience is the caring community on campus. One way we do that? Faculty-in-Residence!

These Baylor professors (many of them also BU alumni) dont just work on campus; they live on campus, too, in designated apartment-style homes inside most residence halls, along with their families. The goal: Fostering students social, cultural, educational and spiritual growth by encouraging community involvement and student interaction. That can mean everything from hosting fun events and socials, to group Bible study classes, to meeting one-on-one with students (even at odd hours).

Meet this years Faculty-in-Residence (FIR):

Alexander/Memorial Halls: Dr. Jason Whitt (BA 96, PhD 08). Whitt is a senior lecturer in the Honors Program whose research interests are in theology of disability, the intersection of faith and medicine, ecclesiology, and political theology. (Family: wife Maggie, MSED 06, and two children)

Allen/Dawson Halls: Dr. Beth Allison Barr (BA 96). The graduate program director in the Department of History, Barr teaches undergraduate courses on subjects such as medieval history and European womens history. (Family: husband Jeb, BA 97, and two children)

Brooks Flats Apartments: Dr. Lee Grumbles. Grumbles is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Cooperate Innovation. After 17 years as a VP of commercial banking, Grumbles brings extensive experience working with entrepreneurial ventures. (Family: wife Lauren, and two children)

Brooks Residential College: Dr. Rishi Sriram (BA 01, MSED 03). A FIR since 2013, Sriram spent eight years in higher education administration, helping launch and develop Baylors living-learning programs, before becoming a professor in the School of Education. (Family:wife Amanda, BS 02, and three school-aged children)

Earle Hall: Dr. Karenna Malavanti (BS 10, MA 12, PhD 14). A senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Malavantis primary research interest is in applied cognition and human memory. (Family: husband Matthew, and daughter Mila)

Kokernot Hall: Dr. Maricel Demesa. Demesa is a senior lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry with more than 25 years of teaching experience in various fields of chemistry at the university level. (Family: husband Fernadel, and a grown daughter)

Martin Hall: Dr. Clay Butler (BA 88). A FIR since 2015, Butler serves as a senior lecturer in the English department, teaching linguistics courses such as Language in Society, Cross-Cultural Linguistics, and Modern English Grammar. (Family: wife Susan, BA 89, and four grown children)

North Russell Hall: Dr. Joe Coker. Coker is a senior lecturer in the Religion Department, regularly teaching the core religion courses. He is interested in researching the way that religion both shapes the culture around it and is also shaped by the surrounding culture. (Family: wife Amy, and four children, including two current BU students)

North Village, Heritage House: Steven Pounders. Pounders is a professor in the Department of Theatre Arts. Along with teaching at Baylor, he has continued to work as a professional actor and director with theater productions in Texas, New York and other regions. (Family: wife Hope)

North Village, Texana House: Dr. Lesley McAllister. McAllister teaches piano and serves as director of piano pedagogy in the School of Music. She advocates to help musicians of every age reach peak performance using yoga, sport psychology research, and mind/body relaxation techniques. (Family: husband Dr. Scott McAllister, also a professor in the School of Music, and two school-aged children)

North Village, University House: Brent Philips. Philips has taught trombone in the School of Music since 2004. He is currently principal trombone in the Waco Symphony and Abilene Philharmonic, continues to perform regularly with the Houston Symphony, and serves as guest principal with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. (Family: wife Meredith (BA 94), and two sons, including one current BU student)

Penland Hall: Dr. Kelli McMahan (BSED 93). A FIR since 2016, McMahan is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation and one of the creators of Baylors Outdoor Adventure Line Camp and Outdoor Adventure Living-Learning Center.

South Russell Hall: Dr. Mona Choucair (BA 86, PhD 00). A FIR since 2014, Choucair is a senior lecturer in both the English department and School of Education, teaching such subjects as American literature and advanced grammar.

Teal Residential College: Brian Thomas. A FIR since 2016, Thomas is a senior lecturer in engineering and faculty sponsor of the Engineers with a Mission student organization. (Family: wife Martha (BSED 81, MSED 88) and two sons)

University Parks: Dr. Bob Kane. A FIR since 2015, Kane is an associate chemistry professor and director of Baylors Institute of Biomedical Studies, researching applications of synthetic chemistry in areas such as vaccine development. (Family: wife Deb and five children)

Sic em, Faculty-in-Residence!

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Meet this year's Baylor Faculty-in-Residence - Baylor University

Biochemistry

Lasting leadership – The Source – Washington University in St. Louis – Washington University in St. Louis

Physician turned internationally renowned biochemist and pharmaceutical executive P. Roy Vagelos, MD, never planned his career path. Each step led to the next, he says. Recognition was never my motivation. I wanted to work where I could be productive and make important things happen.

Following a decade at the National Institutes of Health, Vagelos joined the faculty of Washington University School of Medicine in 1966 as head of the Department of Biological Chemistry, now called the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. During his nine years at WashU, he founded two pioneering programs: the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), combining elements of the MD and PhD programs into a rigorous curriculum for future physician-scientists; and the Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences (DBBS), a transformative model for interdisciplinary education and research across the life sciences that united WashUs main and medical campuses. He also was instrumental in recruiting a cohort of Black medical students from historically Black colleges and universities to diversify thestudent body and advance racial equity in health care.

Vagelos left WashU in 1975 to direct research at Merck & Co., where he eventually became CEO and chairman. Since then, both MSTP and DBBS have risen to top ranks nationwide. Graduates of these lauded programs are advancing medicine and improving health across the globe.

In 2021, Vagelos and his wife, Diana, contributed $15 million to DBBS to fund graduate fellowships and bolster undergraduate programs. Theirgift honors the late Chancellor Emeritus William H. Danforth, who recruited Vagelos to WashU, supported his visionary ideas and became a longtime friend. The university renamed DBBS the Roy and Diana Vagelos Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences in recognition of the couples generosity.

After I graduated from medical school in 1954, I was assigned to the National Institutes of Health to complete two years of required service to the federal government. There, I met Earl Stadtman, a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, who was one of the outstanding biochemists of the world. Although he had never worked with an MD and I had never worked in a laboratory, he agreed to take me on. For two years, he led me through biochemistry. With his encouragement, I stayed at the NIH eight more years, conducting research independently and starting my career as a scientist.

Every successful scientist has had a mentor like Earl, who turned him or her on to science. Colleagues at the medical school and I introduced the idea of giving training and research opportunities to undergraduates through DBBS for this reason. Getting these students into laboratories so that they can participate in real experiments, not just learn from a textbook, is so important. This access sparks an interest in the sciences early on in a young persons life and helps build the pipeline of future scientists.

Nearly every improvement in health care in the last 50 years began with a basic science breakthrough. When a scientist makes a discovery at a molecular level, others leverage that knowledge to learn even more, as we recently saw with messenger RNA and the development of COVID vaccines. Answering fundamental questions about the body and disease is key to identifying therapeutic approaches.

The critical importance of basic science to medicine underlies the role of the physician-scientist, who is both investigator and clinician. Physician-scientists are aware of the potential applications of the science. At the same time, clues from studying disease can open new avenues for research. The two realms are stronger together than alone, which was the impetus for establishing the Medical Scientist Training Program.

We had the worlds greatest faculty people who were terrific scientists themselves and worked well with students.

In the case of MSTP, WashU was not the first to offer the combined degree program. But we were able to take the lead very quickly because few medical schools had the level of basic science expertise in their clinical departments that we did.

When I arrived at WashU, the six basic science departments recruited their own graduate students with varying degrees of success and did their own teaching. I was confident that we would be more effective together and that undergraduates would benefit greatly from taking courses led by basic science faculty from the med school. Within one year of its creation, DBBS greatly enhanced the quality of the undergraduate and graduate programs in the life sciences. The division also gave grad students the chance to complete their first year before choosing a discipline. To my astonishment, this structure became known as the WashU model, and it remains the standard for biomedical education today.

I come from a very humble background. My parents were immigrants from the small Greek island of Lesbos who only completed sixth grade. I learned everything along the way, beginning with English as a second language so I could go to elementary school.

At WashU, I gained the confidence to implement new ideas and lead an organization. I was able to continue building the strong biochemistry department and to start several programs that were new and different. Although I didnt know it then, what I learned and accomplished at WashU prepared me for leadership

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Lasting leadership - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis - Washington University in St. Louis

Biochemistry

Amy Keating named head of the Department of Biology – MIT News

Amy E. Keating, the Jay A. Stein Professor of Biology and a professor of biological engineering, has been named head of the Department of Biology, effective today. She succeeds Alan Grossman, the Praecis Professor of Biology at MIT, who led the department since 2014.

Professor Keating is a leading researcher in her field, employing computational techniques to understand how malfunction of proteins leads to disease, says Nergis Mavalvala, the Curtis and Kathleen Marble Professor of Astrophysics and the dean of the MIT School of Science.

In addition to leadership in her research among other roles, she was recently the President of the Protein Society she has served in key department leadership roles, including her most recent positions as associate department head and graduate officer. In addition to her world-class research, Amy's teaching and service to the department, MIT, and the broader scientific community are exemplary, Mavalvala says.

Keating served on the search committee for the director of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research as well as the selection committee for the dean of the School of Science. With Associate Professor Mary Gehring, Keating is co-director of the biology graduate program, and since 2012 she has been the co-PI with Professor Stephen Bell on the departments National Institutes of General Medical Sciences doctoral training grant.

I look forward to continuing to work with the members of our department students, faculty, and staff to create a rich and diverse environment in which all our community members feel they belong and can thrive, says Keating, who is also a member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. I hope to create additional opportunities for MIT biology to maintain and grow our excellence in research, teaching, mentorship, and service.

Keatings research focuses on interaction properties of proteins encoded in their sequences and structures. She investigates proteinprotein interactions by integrating data from high throughput assays, structural modeling, and bioinformatics with biochemical and biophysical experiments.

Her research group studies proteins that regulate critical processes, such as cell death regulated by the Bcl-2 family of proteins. Keating has developed methods to reprogram the interaction between proteins, and applying these methods to Bcl-2 proteins has generated peptides that inhibit processes that keep cancer cells alive. Other areas of research include -helical coiled-coil proteins and protein domains that bind to short linear motifs. For her research, Keating received a NIH Transformative R01 grant designed to support innovative, high-risk and unconventional research projects with the potential to transform a field of science.

Amys research has opened the door to using computational biology to address fundamental questions in proteinprotein interactions, and to design peptide inhibitors with therapeutic impact, says Grossman. Amy's interests and research fit well with the growing area of computational biology and are at the interface of several areas, including computation, biophysics, biochemistry, biological engineering, synthetic biology, and of course the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing. This is an area of strength that continues to increase in the department and at MIT.

Keating helped institute the departments professional development requirement for graduate students and she is deeply committed to providing opportunities for MIT graduate students outside of the Institute.

The brainchild of two bioengineering students, the graduate course7.930J (Research Experience in Biopharma) exposes graduate students to industrial science and helps them develop the skills required to succeed in industry. In this subject, sponsored by Keating and Doug Lauffenburger, the Ford Professor of Biological Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Biology and co-taught by Keating and Sean Clarke, a communications instructor and manager of biotech outreach within the Department of Biological Engineering, students participate in on-site research at local biopharmaceutical companies, where they both observe and participate in industrial science.

Its really designed to demystify doing research in industry, says Keating. The feedback we get suggests its quite eye-opening in terms of changing some assumptions about what that life is like.

Keating has also played a significant role in the Department of Biologys diversity and outreach initiatives for graduate students, including providing research opportunities in her own lab through the Bernard S. and Sophie G. Gould MIT Summer Research Program (MSRP) in Biology.

She is a terrific teacher and mentor, and works tirelessly to recruit and support diverse and outstanding graduate students in the department, says Grossman.

Keating earned her doctorate from the University of California at Los Angeles and was introduced to protein biochemistry as a Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellow working with Professors Peter S. Kim of the Department of Biology and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Bruce Tidor of MITs Department of Biological Engineering. She joined the MIT Department of Biology as an assistant professor in 2002. Among her various awards, Keating received the NIH Transformative R01 grant designed to support innovative, high-risk and unconventional research projects with the potential to transform a field of science. She recently received the Georgina Sweet Award for Women in Quantitative Biomedical Science as part of the Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship program.

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Biochemistry

$1 million is music to the ears of Wake Forest’s Chamber Choir | Wake Forest News – Wake Forest News

During the pandemic, practicing in-person as a group and traveling to perform were on hold. Junior communication major Elsa Maurizi joined the choir her first year at Wake Forest and participated in the May Southeastern tour.

We were all familiar with one another as singers, but not really as friends until we went on tour. We bonded through the music, through the jokes and bus rides and conversations and just all the different personalities being put together for a week, Maurizi said. Going on tour was a big step for us, and I now feel very connected to the music and the people and the beauty of what we are trying to accomplish as a group.

Students accepted to the Chamber Choir enroll in a semester-long, one-credit course that meets four days a week. From the moment they step foot in the class, they are listening, creating synergy, and engaging with new ideas and perspectives. If these sound like skills necessary for classrooms and careers, that is because they are.

A big thing we learn in our communication classes is how to understand the ways people express themselves. We learn to listen, said Maurizi. In choir, we have to listen closely to the voices around us in order to blend and lean into dissonance and harmony. The choir is very group-oriented, but each minor detail is created by individuals,

Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music Chris Gilliam describes choir as engaging with words and language, poetry, and concepts and ideas that must be processed by the brain and expressed in music. It is a whole body experience where singers step outside their comfort zones.

Kgosi (pronounced Kho-see) Hughes began singing at the age of 10 when he joined the Drakensberg Boys Choir School in South Africa. As a biochemistry and molecular biology major and music minor, he plans to pursue a career in medicine after graduation in 2023. Like Maurizi, he joined the Chamber Choir during his first year at Wake Forest.

Music has undoubtedly shaped who I am as a person and offers a break away from the intense academic workload that comes with being a pre-med student, said Hughes. I have been able to learn many new techniques and life perspectives from other students. Singing with the choir has also helped me confront criticism by learning how to process constructive feedback.

Gilliam describes the choir singers work as more than reading the note and singing it in key.

In studying the music and its place in time, students learn empathy and sensitivity to other cultures, and how to work together. They learn how to communicate transparently, honestly and without pretext skills that will serve them a lifetime.

Thane McDonald Wake Forest Choir Tour Fund The gift from Frank and Kathy Bragg initiates the Thane McDonald choir tour fund. The fund grows as alumni and friends come together to make it possible for choir singers to travel together without concern for cost. More information on how to support the endowment is available here.

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$1 million is music to the ears of Wake Forest's Chamber Choir | Wake Forest News - Wake Forest News

Biochemistry

Inaugural program with Fresno State, Rowan and Valdosta State universities spurs unforgettable summer of research – Princeton University

How can we create a diverse network of colleagues? That deceptively simple question sparked an "unforgettable" initiative from the Department of Chemistry:the inaugural Visiting Faculty Research Partnership (VFRP), which wrapped recently with a symposium and poster session that celebrated visiting professors and their undergraduates from Fresno State, Rowan and Valdosta State universities.

The two-month summer program draws faculty from moderate to small research institutions that serve historically underrepresented groups. This inaugural year provided research and stipend funding to three visiting faculty who each brought two undergraduates with them.

Visiting faculty in Princeton Chemistrys two-month Visiting Faculty Research Partnership, at Frick Laboratory. From left: Qiao-Hong Chen, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at California State University, Fresno; Tolulope Salami, professor in the Department of Chemistry at Valdosta State University; Rashanique Quarels, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Rowan University; and Princeton Chemistry Department Chair Gregory Scholes, the William S. Tod Professor of Chemistry.

Photo by

C. Todd Reichart, Department of Chemistry

The visitors paired up with Princeton faculty and embedded in labs, group meetings and workshops to complete research collaborations.

I am thrilled to see the positive impact Princeton Chemistrys VFRP had for all participating faculty and students, said Shawn Maxam, associate provost for diversity and inclusion. The relationships and collaborations developed seem to be exceptional. We know that talent exists everywhere, and our pursuit of academic excellence requires a robust engagement with diverse groups of scientists and scholars.

My gratitude to the department for launching this program. I am excited by the future opportunities for science and collaboration catalyzed by VFRP, he said.

The three visiting professors were Qiao-Hong Chen, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at California State University, Fresno; Rashanique Quarels, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Rowan University; and Tolulope Salami, professor in the Department of Chemistry at Valdosta State University.

VFRP is part of department chair Greg Scholes goal to open Princeton Chemistry to non-traditional routes of collaboration.

What a great response we got for this program. It says a lot that we could make three top-quality appointments that spanned three different labs in our department, said Scholes, the William S. Tod Professor of Chemistry. We imagine that the experience will enhance the visiting students applications for graduate school or employment, and that we have seeded productive, long-term connections with them.

Chen and her two students partnered with Erik Sorensen, the Arthur Allan Patchett Professor in Organic Chemistry, and his research group. After two months, Chen declared the program an exciting, unforgettable summer of research. Its been a great chance for me, for my two students who came with me, and my entire group at Fresno State. We were all so happy to do this.

A first-generation college student herself, Chen chose two undergraduates to accompany her whom she felt would most benefit from the opportunity: Jasmine Hang and first-generation college student Khamyl Cooksey, both of whom traveled to the East Coast for the first time.

Coming here pushed me a little bit more towards doing a Ph.D., said Hang. Im actually a biology major, so chemistry wasnt ever anything I was going to touch other than the classes I need to take. But I really enjoyed the hands-on part of the lab. So now, Im thinking maybe I can do research on campus.

Tolulope Salami (center) and his undergraduates Jayden Thomas (left) and Jodeci Mitchell (right) from Valdosta State University atttend the Summer Symposium Poster Session at Frick Laboratory.

Photo by

C. Todd Reichart, Department of Chemistry

I have loved every moment of it, she added. Being able to work here and be a part of the whole environment where everyone is so research-driven, it just makes it so much more impactful.

Said Cooksey: The Sorensen Lab was very welcoming. We got to talk to the postdocs and graduate students and hear a lot about the paths theyve taken. Its definitely given me the opportunity to explore my options.

Jodeci Mitchell, who visited with Salami from Valdosta, embedded with the Bocarsly Lab, the research group of Professor Andrew Bocarsly. This program has given me access to more diverse experimentation and different equipment. Using that knowledge is definitely going to be useful to my career, no matter what I decide to do, she said. The hands-on activity in the lab is definitely beneficial in that aspect. Just getting used to the lab environment in general has been wonderful.

Salami said he feels its important to continue learning throughout ones professional career, and he found the opportunity to do that with the Bocarsly Lab.

The students too, theyve been encouraged that they can do this, he said. They had some trepidation about coming to Princeton, but when they got here, it was like, Hmmm, I actually can do this. Were all just chemists. I think it has done a lot to build their confidence.

Quarels and her two students from Rowan University partnered with Rob Knowles, a professor of chemistry, and his research group. Quarles noted that the Knowles Lab has a piece of equipment integral to her research a cryocooler, a refrigerator designed to reach cryogenic temperatures that is not available at Rowan. Just being able to utilize some of the resources here at Princeton was a big check for me.

She added that one of the students who accompanied her, Jonathan Santoro, was up until this point a chemical engineering major at Rowan. Following this summers fellowship, he plans to change his major to chemistry full time and continue on the path to graduate school.

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Inaugural program with Fresno State, Rowan and Valdosta State universities spurs unforgettable summer of research - Princeton University

Biochemistry

The CHIPS and Science Act becomes law – ASBMB Today

President Joe Biden today signed into law the CHIPS and Science Act, which authorizes funding and policies to bolster American research and development and increase national science and technology competitiveness.

The act contains several provisions endorsed previously by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology:

The Bioeconomy Research and Development Act of 2021 will help to unify and strengthen bioengineering efforts across U.S. agencies.

The Restore and Modernize Our National Labs Act originally proposed $6.1 billion to repair and modernize U.S. national laboratories. The final legislation authorizes $4 billion across fiscal years 2023 to 2027.

The STEM Opportunities Actwill facilitate participation of historically marginalized groups in science, technology, engineering and math. Notably, the legislation contains language, for which the ASBMB advocated, to extend caregiving flexibilities to trainees, not only investigators awarded federal grants.

The Rural STEM Education Research Act supports rural communities access to STEM education and research through several mechanisms. The legislation includes the ASBMBs preferred language expanding investments in the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. This means that the National Science Foundation will increase the percentage of funds (to 20% from 13%) that go to emerging research institutions, many of which are in rural communities.

The majority of the MSI STEM Achievement Actwas included in the legislation. It will increase capacity and infrastructure at minority-serving institutions of higher education, including historically Black colleges and universities and tribal colleges and universities.

The Combatting Sexual Harassment in STEM Act has funding for executing preventative measures and response frameworks for addressing sexual and gender harassment in STEM.

The ASBMB-endorsed language in the NSF for the Future Actwill increase the number of graduate research fellowships and improve the NSFs training policies by instating mentorship plans, career exploration and increased inclusivity.

It has taken a lot of effort to get the CHIPS and Science Act over the finish line.

In June 2021, as the U.S. experienced increasing inflation and supply-chain deficiencies and fell behind in R&D globally, the U.S. Senate responded by passing the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, also known as USICA.

This bipartisan bill combined multiple legislative efforts to strengthenthe nations leadership in R&D by protecting American intellectual property with enhanced research security policies, robust scientific funding authorizations and investments in the STEM workforce.

In February, the U.S. House passed its version of the bill, the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strength Act of 2022, calledCOMPETES for short.

COMPETES expanded on the science provisions in USICA with strong bipartisan input and engagement with stakeholders from the science, education and industrial sectors. It also significantly differed from USICA by including provisions related to clean energy and trade provisions.

At the time, U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., the ranking member of the House Science Committee, said in a statement how much he opposed the COMPETES Act but called for consensus between Democrats and Republicans: While there are many flaws in USICA, I believe that we had a good opportunity to find a consensus agreement through a formal House and Senate Conference.

In March, the ASBMB published a statement detailing its position on the two versions and endorsed several provisions that remain largely intact in the CHIPS and Science Act.

In April, the bill entered a bicameral conferencing process, during which a conferencing committee of 107 lawmakers would negotiate the more than 1,000 differences between USICA and COMPETES. The ASBMB shared its statement with the offices of those members.

During the ASBMBs annual Capitol Hill Day in May, the societys Public Affairs Advisory Committee strongly advocated for provisions in USICA and COMPETES that would modernizethe infrastructure of national labs, strengthen the bioeconomy, and support the next generation of scientists.

Over the summer, the legislation faced many negotiation hurdles and political attacks. Yet more pressure stemmed from looming deadlines to pass incentives for semiconductor manufacturing before companies set up shop internationally. Communication began to break down among congressional and conferencing leaders.

Once concerns emerged that Congress would strip the pro-science provisions in the U.S. competitiveness legislation to meet the semiconductor deadlines, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., agreed to a test vote on July 19 to assess support for a bill that had semiconductor manufacturing incentives and the pro-science provisions that had been successfully negotiated. That version of the legislation was called CHIPS+.

After a successful test vote, the ASBMB called for passage in the Senate on July 25. Notably, the ASBMB was one of many other scientific stakeholders that demonstrated their support for CHIPS+ upon the rapid arrival of the bill in both chambers.

The Senate passed the final iteration the CHIPS and Science Act on July 27.

This is one of the most significant long-term thinking bills weve passed in a very long time, Schumer said after the Senate vote. Our grandchildren will hold good paying jobs in industries we cant even imagine because of what we are doing right now and we did it together, both sides cooperating in good faith, on some truly difficult issues.

The House passed the legislation the next day, and President Joe Biden signed it into law today.

Sudip Parikh, chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, called the CHIPS and Science Act one of the most important pieces of science and technology legislation in a generation and a down payment on our future to ensure America remains a world leader in scientific discovery and innovation.

The scientific community played an important role in making the legislation a reality.

Sarina Neote, ASBMBs director of public affairs, said: The ASBMB applauds the work of congressional leadership and conferencing members who laid the groundwork for the (legislation). We also really appreciate all the time and effort our PAAC members have dedicated to advocating for the science workforce provisions in the final version of the bill. Its important for scientists to make sure their voices are heard, and our committee members did exactly that.

James Brown, executive director of the STEM Education Coalition, said in a statement: Our future prosperity depends on our ability to lead the world in technology development, job creation in high demand technical fields, and our ability to train more Americans for the best, highest paying jobs in the global economy. We are delighted that so many members of both parties in the U.S. Senate have come together behind this goal.

The next hurdle will be actual follow-through on the funding authorizations agreed to in the act. The scientific community will be watching the negotiations for FY23 appropriations closely.

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The CHIPS and Science Act becomes law - ASBMB Today

Biochemistry

Toragen, Inc. Announces the Appointment of Board of Directors and Senior Staff – Business Wire

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Toragen, Inc., a San Diego-based biotechnology company focused on developing, repurposing and commercializing uniquely selective drugs targeting cancers caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), announced today the appointment of Mr. Paul Engler, of Amarillo, Texas, to the Board of Directors of the Company. Additionally, Toragen announced the appointment of Cheryl Collett as CFO, effective June 20, 2022, and Dr. Richard Lumpkin as Director, Research & Development, effective July 1, 2022.

Mr. Engler is the founder of Cactus Feeders. In 1960, he started the first cattle-feeding operation in Texas and grew the company to become the largest cattle-feeding company in the world. At age 93, Paul is extremely active and healthy. He remains actively involved in investments and philanthropic activities of his private foundation, the Paul F. and Virginia J. Engler Foundation.

Mr. Engler stated that, I invest in people. I was immediately impressed with the team at Toragen. In fact, I have known Dr. Sandra Coufal, Toragens CEO, to be an extremely competent medical practitioner and have made investments in other ventures that were successfully directed by Dr. Coufal. We are all aware that HPV can induce a number of cancers and I found Toragens platform solution to be unique. I was eager to be a lead investor and welcomed a seat on the board.

Ms. Collett brings over 20 years progressive finance and accounting experience to Toragen. Most recently, Ms. Collett served as CFO of Anivive Lifesciences, an animal-health pharmaceutical company commercializing the first-ever oral lymphoma treatment for dogs. Prior to Anivive, Ms. Collett served as VP, Finance and Accounting for Puma Biotechnology (NASDAQ: PBYI) where she spent nearly a decade growing the company from four employees to over 300, from privately held to public, and from clinical-stage to commercial. Additionally, Ms. Collett has worked in finance and accounting roles at Sierra Scientific Instruments, Cougar Biotechnology, Hythiam and 20th Century Fox after beginning her career in public accounting. She received her degree from California State University, Los Angeles and is a California-licensed CPA.

Richard Lumpkin, PhD, has over 30 years experience in early-stage research in biotechnology companies. Dr. Lumpkin previously served as Senior Director at Global Blood Therapeutics becoming the first employee of this Third Rock Ventures founded company. Dr. Lumpkin was also instrumental in spinning off Portola Pharmaceuticals from Millennium Pharmaceuticals and held positions in early-stage research for Cor Therapeutics, Ribogene, Amylin and Corvas International, Inc. Dr. Lumpkin received his undergraduate in Geology and graduate degree in Biochemistry from the University of Missouri, Columbia.

About Toragen

Toragen, founded by Andrew Sharabi, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences at UC San Diego, is targeting the root cause of virally induced cancers. https://toragen.com.

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Toragen, Inc. Announces the Appointment of Board of Directors and Senior Staff - Business Wire

Biochemistry

How Paleo is using biochemistry to bring plant-based mammoth meat to consumers – Food Dive

Meat alternative makers are working to create products that look, feel, taste and smell like the products consumers are already familiar with.

Belgian startup Paleo is developing an ingredient that will create an entirely new taste sensation: plant-based wooly mammoth.

The company creates different animal heme proteins through precision fermentation. Heme, an iron-rich protein found in the muscles of animals, is a substance that helps provide meat with its trademark taste. Paleo can use fermentation to make heme that is normally found in beef, chicken, pork, lamb, tuna and, yes, wooly mammoth.

You can describe it as being more meaty, said Co-founder and CEO Hermes Sanctorum.Mammoth heme has a stronger aroma and taste, he said though it usually depends on the ingredients its being used with, as well as its application.

But Paleo isnt just out there to resurrect tastes from the ancient past and add them to tomorrows soy and pea analogs. Its heme proteins can also customize alternative versions of the food many meat-loving consumers enjoy today, making them more likely to make sustainable and kinder choices, Sanctorum said.

Sanctorum acknowledges he is impatient. A bioengineer and former member of Belgiums Federal Parliament, he left politics because it took too long for things to get done.He said he is a firm believer in the power of cultivated meat, but it will still take years to get to the scale in which it can make a difference in what people eat. Plant-based food is here and available, but making the products taste like something consumers would want is a challenge, Sanctorum said.

Since heme is such an important part of taste in meat, if you want to make plant-based foods taste more like meat,it makes sense to add heme to it, Sanctorum said.

Because Paleo uses precision fermentation, its heme ingredients are identical to whats found in the corresponding animals. (Or, in the case of wooly mammoth, what would be found.) Its patent application was recently published by the World Intellectual Property Organization. Sanctorum said the company is currently talking with some food manufacturers, and its ingredient could be on the market as soon as next year.

Heme protein plays two vital roles in meat, Sanctorum said. It provides the characteristic meaty taste that consumers are used to. But it also makes iron bio-available. Both of those aspects are vital for meat analogs, he said.

It's taste, which is very important for a consumer preference, but it's also about health, nutritional value, so it's a good and healthy protein, Sanctorum said.

A small amount of heme protein can make a great impact on a plant-based products taste and nutrition, he said.

Paleo co-founders Hermes Sanctorum and Andy de Jong.

Courtesy of Paleo

Paleo, which Sanctorum founded with medical doctor Andy de Jong, uses precision fermentation technology to create this protein without any animal. It modifies yeasts to produce these specific heme proteins when fermented. And, Sanctorum said, this method gets around Europes strict restrictions around genetically modified food though whether it would be considered a GMO product by consumers or other groups is an open question.

There are already alternative heme ingredients out there. Impossible Foods has one for its products that comes from soy and is made through precision fermentation, and Motif FoodWorks launched its Hemami ingredient late last year. But Paleo is the only company with a portfolio of different heme choices, Sanctorum said.

Sanctorum said it was important to come out with several heme protein options because customers will be making different products and have different needs. The proteins are generally similar from animal to animal, but Sanctorum said that there are differences in things like amino acid composition or compounds. The work of designing the heme proteins is done through biochemistry, he said, and Paleo is working with potential clients to see how closely the proteins can meet different needs.

The companys biochemistry-based portfolio building is how they got to creating wooly mammoth heme, Sanctorum said.

It started as a challenge, Sanctorum said.We thought, if you can do all the obvious species, could we do it for an ancient protein that has been consumed a long time by humanity, but not any more, right? I mean, it's about 12,000 years ago.

Paleo partnered with paleozoic researchers to see what they could learn about wooly mammoth DNA, which has been preserved in part. It was a real puzzle, Sanctorum said, but they were able to figure it out through using science to figure out some of the missing pieces.

As they worked more on mammoth heme, Sanctorum said they found that the protein was more stable than those found in other animals. When the mammoth heme was cooked, it released more aromatic compounds than other ingredients.

The mammoth heme is more than a demonstration of Paleos tech knowhow, Sanctorum said. Its also not just something wacky that the company can offer.

I know that it's a bit more exotic,he said. I can imagine that not everyone is really into trying something like that. But at least we can show also that we are able to produce something less obvious.Because I can imagine that we sit together with a large potential client and they say, Yeah, but in fact,we need something that is slightly different. Well, we are able to anticipate on that, and we just make the protein that they need.

Paleo is working on its growth and moving toward creating enough ingredients to sell. The company has a partnership with the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant an independent fermentation lab in Belgium that helps with product development as it is scaling up, Sanctorum said.

The scale-up process should be complete next year, Sanctorum said, but getting the ingredient to market is another story. Because Paleo is Europe-based, it designed its products to get around the EUs provisions dealing with GMO food, but the ingredients still need regulatory approval. Sanctorum said Paleo is working with regulators in Europe, as well as the U.S., Latin America and Asia.

The companys first launch, Sanctorum said, will depend on several things coming together. It will be in a country that grants regulatory approval, and with a manufacturer known for its innovation that is ready to use Paleos heme in a product intended to truly do something different. Sanctorum said his team is talking to about 10 companies who are candidates for a first launch.

Paleo is also working on fundraising. Late last year, the company closed a 2 million euro ($2.26 million) seed round. Those funds were used on R&D and designing future facilities, including its own pilot plant. Sanctorum said Paleo is working on finding investors for its next funding round, which it hopes to close this fall.

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How Paleo is using biochemistry to bring plant-based mammoth meat to consumers - Food Dive