r 2011 American Chemical Society 867 dx.doi.org/10.1021/cb200307p |ACS Chem. Biol. 2011, 6, 867–869

INTRODUCING OUR AUTHORS

pubs.acs.org/acschemicalbiology

Zhen Chen

Image courtesy of Hui Fang.

Current position Rice University,Department of Chemistry, Ph.D.candidate in Chemistry with Prof.Zachary Ball

EducationPekingUniversity, China,B.S. in Chemistry, 2009

Nonscientific interestsTable tennis,movies, photography

My graduate work focuses on the de-sign of artificial enzymes and the use of metallopeptide catalysts astools for chemical biology. In my work, I draw on ideas frombiochemistry and enzymology as well as organometallic chemistryto create entirely nonbiological metallopeptides with enzyme-likefunction. A key insight of this paper, combining a designedmolecular recognition motif with efficient transition-metal cata-lysis, should allow the design of orthogonal catalysts targetingmultiple proteins.This concepthas intriguedmeever since I joinedmy current lab. During my study of this underdeveloped field,surprising experimental results stimulate my scientific curiosityevery day. (Read Chen’s article, DOI: 10.1021/cb2001523)

Carlos Contreras-Martel

Image courtesy of Carlos Contreras-Martel.

Current position Bacterial Patho-genesis Group, Institut de BiologieStructurale, Permanent Staff Scien-tist (CR1 CNRS)

Education Ph.D., University of Con-cepci�on, Chile; postdoctoral fellow-ships, Institut Pasteur and Institut deBiologie Structurale, France

Nonscientific interests Skiing, music,movies, books, history

Since the time of my Ph.D. in Chile, my work has focused onunderstanding protein structure using crystallographymethods. Atfirst, I studied the process of photochemical transfer carried out byphycobiliproteins (Dr. M. Bunster’s group) and later becameinterested in understanding electron transfer in metalloproteins(Dr. Fontecilla-Camps’s group, France). I am presently a staffresearcher at the Bacterial Pathogenesis Group within the Institutde Biologie Structurale (Grenble, France). My research interestsfocus on the structural characterization and development ofinhibitors for penicillin binding proteins (PBPs), which areinvolved in bacterial cell division and participate in the develop-ment of antibiotic resistance in multiple pathogens. In this paper,my collaborators and I describe the structure-based study of anumber of boronate analogues that inhibit specific PBPs from a

multidrug resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus; this workinvolved crystallization and solution of 11 crystal structures of aPBP in complex with the ligands. These results will be usefultoward the development of novel antibiotics that target drug-resistant pathogens (Read Contreras-Martel’s article, DOI:10.1021/cb2001846)

Emily Cross

Image Courtesy of Rebecca Thomason.

Current position Vanderbilt Uni-versity, Department of Cell andDevelopment Biology, Ph.D. candi-date with Prof. David Bader

EducationGannon University, Erie,Pennsylvania, B.S. in Biology, 2005

Nonscientific interests Triathalons,reading, yoga, playing with my dog

My graduate research interest is in thedevelopment of the epicardium, a progenitor population thatdifferentiates to provide several cell types to the developing heart.I seek to understand basic molecular mechanisms that controlepicardial cell decision-making. Epicardial cells undergo manybehaviors including two forms of migration, differentiation, secre-tion of factors and extracellularmatrix, and proliferation. The studypublished here demonstrates that the Dosomorphin analoguefamily of small organic molecules can specifically modify a singleepicardial behavior while leaving others intact, and that two signalcascades previously linked to development of this tissue coopera-tively regulate a single behavior. This study provides novel screen-ing techniques and tools to the epicardial field, which is currentlyvery interested in harnessing this population for regenerativepurposes. (Read Cross’ article, DOI: 10.1021/cb200205z)

Kommireddy Vasu

Image courtesy of Prof.Valakunja Nagaraja.

Current position Indian Institute ofScience, Department of Microbiol-ogy and Cell Biology, Ph.D. studentwith Prof. Valakunja Nagaraja

Education Osmania University,Hyderabad, India, B.Sc. in Bio-chemistry, 2003; Indian Instituteof Science, Bangalore, India, M.S.in Biological Sciences, 2007

Nonscientific interests Traveling,gardening, chess, reading

868 dx.doi.org/10.1021/cb200307p |ACS Chem. Biol. 2011, 6, 867–869

ACS Chemical Biology INTRODUCING OUR AUTHORS

My research is aimed at understanding mechanistic detailsof protein�DNA interactions and the evolution of se-quence specificity. Restriction endonucleases serve as ex-cellent tools to study how proteins evolve to recognizespecific DNA sequences. These are a very diverse groupof enzymes that differ in their primary sequence, active sitearchitecture, requirement of metal ion, mechanism of DNArecognition and cleavage. As a Ph.D. student in Prof.Nagaraja’s group, I utilize R.KpnI, an inherently promiscu-ous restriction endonuclease, as a model system to addresshow nature tinkers the enzyme’s active site and modulatethe substrate and cofactor specificities. The present studiesinvolved understanding active site plasticity of this enzymeand the role of metal ions in modulation of DNA bindingand cleavage by R.KpnI. This knowledge would be useful indesigning enzymes with altered cofactor or new substratespecificities. (Read Kommireddy’s article, DOI: 10.1021/cb200107y)

Nora L. Sullivan

Image courtesy of Nora Sullivan.

Current position Harvard Uni-versity, Cambridge, Massachusetts,Postdoctoral Fellow in Cell andMolecular Biology, Advisor: Dr.Karine Gibbs

Education Massachusetts Instituteof Technology, Postdoctoral Fellowin Biology, 2009�2010, Advisor:Dr. Dianne Newman; HarvardMedical School, Ph.D. inMicrobiol-ogy and Molecular Genetics,

2003�2009, Advisor: Dr. David Rudner; University ofCambridge, Masters of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Biochemistry,2002�2003, Advisor: Dr. Sarah Lummis; Amherst College,Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) in Biology, 1998�2002, Advisor:Dr. Caroline Goutte

Nonscientific interests Rowing, gardening, cooking, andplaying with my two young daughters

My research interests center on how bacterial cells com-municate with each other. These tiny cells have evolvednumerous mechanisms to collaborate with as well as tocompete with their neighbors. I find the complexity ofthese systems amazing and a rewarding puzzle to teaseapart. In the work described here, we examined a collec-tion of fluorescent small molecules produced by Pseudo-monas aeruginosa that play a role in redox homeostasisand as cell-to-cell signaling molecules. In my currentresearch project, in Karine Gibbs’ lab at Harvard Univer-sity, I am investigating how a population of the bacteriumProteus mirabilis is able to sense the presence of a nearbynonidentical P. mirabilis population and to alter itscommunal behavior to segregate itself from the “non-self”population. (Read Sullivan’s article, DOI: 10.1021/cb200094w)

Supannee Taweechai

Image courtesy of Supannee Taweechai.

Current position Research assistantat Protein�Ligand Engineering andMolecular Biology, Medical Molec-ular Biology Research Unit ofBIOTEC, National Science andTechnology Development Agency(NSTDA), Program Head: Prof.Dr. Yongyuth Yuthavong

Education Mahasarakham Univer-sity, B.Sc. in Biology, 2001; RangsitUniversity, M.Sc. in Biomedical

Science with Assistant Professor Dr. Patamaporn Sukplangand Dr. Sumalee Kamchonwongpaisanfrom, 2007

Nonscientific interests Watching TV, listening to music andsocializing with friends.

I have been working on antifolate screening against Plasmo-dium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase (PfDHFR) sincejoining Prof. Yuthavong’s laboratory in 2001. After myMaster's degree, my research focus has extended to proteinengineering and kinetic study of DHFR from malaria andother protozoa. In this work, I demonstrated a similar patternof antifolate binding affinity of dihydrofolate reductase(DHFR) from Trypanosoma brucei (TbDHFR) to a resistanttype of PfDHFR. I also engineered Thr86Ser- and Thr86Asn-TbDFHR to mimic antifolate-sensitive and -resistant types ofPfDHFR to prove our hypothesis that natural resistance ofTbDHFR is indeed due mainly to its Thr86 residue and thatthe flexible-type antifolates are suitable for TbDFHR. Thesedata provide important clues for the design of more effectiveinhibitors against this parasite. (Read Taweechai’s article,DOI: 10.1021/cb200124r)

Sandra T€uckmantel

Image courtesy of Dr. Armin Robubi.

Current positionApplying for scho-larships and positions to do post-doctoral studies abroad

Education University of Bonn,Germany, diploma in Biology withProf. Dorothea Bartels, 2006; MaxPlanck Institute of Molecular Physiol-ogy, Dortmund, Germany, Ph.D. inBiochemistrywithProf.HerbertWald-mann and Prof. Daniel Rauh, 2011

Nonscientific interests Guitar and Spanish lessons, reading,cooking

My doctoral research focused on small-molecule kinaseinhibitors as antifungal agents. While this type of inhibitor isincreasingly used to treat human disease, the concept ofemploying them as pesticides is a novelty. My goal was toelucidate the fungal targets of a small-molecule inhibitorshowing significant antifungal effects. In my paper, I presentAurora kinase as a novel target in fungi that may lead to thedevelopment of a new class of fungicides targeting protein

869 dx.doi.org/10.1021/cb200307p |ACS Chem. Biol. 2011, 6, 867–869

ACS Chemical Biology INTRODUCING OUR AUTHORS

kinases. As my Ph.D. work was carried out in a group focusingon small-molecule inhibitors of kinases involved in cancerprogression, I became interested in cancer research and, in mypostdoctoral work, would like to study novel approaches forcancer treatment. Read T€uckmantel’s article, DOI: 10.1021/cb200112y)

Jarunee Vanichtanankul

Image courtesy of Jarunee Vanichtanankul.

Current position BIOTEC, Na-tional Science and Technology De-velopment Agency, ThailandScience Park, Researcher with Prof.Yongyuth Yuthavong

Education Chulalongkorn Univer-sity, B.Sc. in Medical Technology,1994; M.Sc. in Biochemistry, 1998;Mahidol University, Ph.D. inBiochemistry with Assoc. Prof.Jirundon Yuvaniyama, 2010

Nonscientific interests Relaxing music, traveling, and meditation

I joined Prof. Yuthavong’s research group and worked withdihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS), adrug target in Plasmodium falciparum for 10 years. Ourresearch interests focus on the use of X-ray crystal structureof the target protein to design effective inhibitors. In this work,we determined the structure of DHFR of Trypanosoma brucei,the causative agent of African sleeping sickness. The structuretogether with kinetic studies indicated that trypanosomalDHFR is similar to a quadruple mutant plasmodial DHFRcausing antifolate resistance. This work provides opportu-nities to develop antifolate antitrypanosomal chemotherapy.(Read Vanichtanankul’s article, DOI: 10.1021/cb200124r)

Alexander Wahba

Image courtesy of Nancy Hebert.

Current position EnvironmentalHealth Science and ResearchBureau, Health Canada, Govern-ment of Canda, Visiting Fellow withDr. Rocio Aranda-Rodriguez

Education McGill University, B.Sc.Biochemistry, 2002; McGill Univer-sity, Ph.D. in Chemistry withDr. Masad J. Damha, 2010

Nonscientific interests Swimming,kendo, humanitarian work, traveling, languages

My fascination for nucleic acid chemistry began in my firstyear of undergraduate studies, when I had the good fortune tomeet my future Ph.D. supervisor, Professor Masad Damha.I eagerly pursued doctoral studies in his laboratory, where myresearch focused on the chemical synthesis and biologicalproperties of modified nucleotides and nucleic acids. Ourwork demonstrated how modified nucleic acids can serve as

tools to improve our understanding of natural DNA and RNA,provide information on their interactions with other bio-molecules, and improve nucleic acid based therapies. In thecurrent study we investigated the incorporation of a fluores-cent nucleobase analogue in siRNA, 6-phenylpyrrolocytidine,and demonstrated how it has nearly the same properties asnatural RNA with the added benefit of simultaneously report-ing on biodistribution. I am currently pursuing a postdoctoralfellowship in the Department of Health of the Governmentof Canada, where I am interested in utilizing nucleic acidsin biosensors, diagnostics, and personalized medicine. (ReadWahba’s article, DOI: 10.1021/cb200070k)