Lab Members
Primary Investigator
Andrew
EllingtonResearch Scientists
Scott Hunicke-SmithVisiting Scientists
Post-Docs
Peter
AllenPeter is a Chemist from University of Washington in Seattle. He has published papers in journals such as Analytical Chemistry, Electrophoresis, and Biochimica et Biophysica Acta: Molecular Basis of Disease. His research has been at the interface of chemistry and neurobiology he is currently working with robotics, Sequential Injection Analysis and aptamers.
Website: The Big Upshot
Bingling
LiResearch: functional nucleic acids based biosassays.
Major: Analytical
Chemistry
Graduate students
Research: Developing technology for light-based patterning of gene expression & cell function
Genome & synthetic circuit engineering
Interests: bike, run, swim, climbing, gin and juice
Peter EnyeartThe details of my life are quite inconsequential. I am developing new methods for genome engineering, and I would like to apply them to developing new biofuels.
Tony
HwangHow does Drosha choose
pri-microRNA loop
as substrate to cleave?
Christien
A. Kluwe
MD/PhD
Research:
I work on developing affinity reagents for diagnosis and treatment as well as methods for improving and expanding the capabilities of biologics currently in use. Rational design and directed evolution are two techniques I use to achieve these goals.
Currently, I am working with proteins we have rationally modified to enhance their surface charge. Upwards of 85% of naturally occurring proteins have a surface charge of +/- 10, whereas the proteins we work with have charges beyond this, up to +/- 20. These new proteins exhibit novel and exciting electrostatic interactions with their environment. We are exploiting these interactions to improve the abilities of our model proteins.
My longterm interests involve working at the interface of laboratory and clinical research, in translational medicine. While I have a great appreciation for the clinic and the ability to interact directly with patients, the excitement and intrigue of applied research are too strong to ignore.
Outside Interests: I love coffee, probably spend too much time staring into my saltwater aquarium, and get agitated when I haven't had the chance to enjoy physical/outdoor activity. I am an avid college football fan, bordering on nerdom.
Research:
I work on developing affinity reagents for diagnosis and treatment as well as methods for improving and expanding the capabilities of biologics currently in use. Rational design and directed evolution are two techniques I use to achieve these goals.
Currently, I am working with proteins we have rationally modified to enhance their surface charge. Upwards of 85% of naturally occurring proteins have a surface charge of +/- 10, whereas the proteins we work with have charges beyond this, up to +/- 20. These new proteins exhibit novel and exciting electrostatic interactions with their environment. We are exploiting these interactions to improve the abilities of our model proteins.
My longterm interests involve working at the interface of laboratory and clinical research, in translational medicine. While I have a great appreciation for the clinic and the ability to interact directly with patients, the excitement and intrigue of applied research are too strong to ignore.
Outside Interests: I love coffee, probably spend too much time staring into my saltwater aquarium, and get agitated when I haven't had the chance to enjoy physical/outdoor activity. I am an avid college football fan, bordering on nerdom.
Wei-Cheng
Lu (Wayne)
Directed evolution of E.coli BirA in
IVTT-IVC. (change substrate specificity)
Research:
In the research, we use in vitro transcription and translation with in vitro compartmentalization system to evolve protein. The target is E.coli biotin ligase which can transfer biotin to a specific apo-protein. Our idea is to change the substrate specificity of E.coli biotin ligase. We are trying to evolve it and make it to use desthiobiotin (biotin analog), as substrates.
So far, we already got some mutants from selections. As compared to wild type E.coli biotin ligase, several selected mutants show ability to use desthiobiotin as substrates. Now we are working on characterization of these selected mutants. Km, Kcat and thermostability of these selected mutants are the current work.
Research:
In the research, we use in vitro transcription and translation with in vitro compartmentalization system to evolve protein. The target is E.coli biotin ligase which can transfer biotin to a specific apo-protein. Our idea is to change the substrate specificity of E.coli biotin ligase. We are trying to evolve it and make it to use desthiobiotin (biotin analog), as substrates.
So far, we already got some mutants from selections. As compared to wild type E.coli biotin ligase, several selected mutants show ability to use desthiobiotin as substrates. Now we are working on characterization of these selected mutants. Km, Kcat and thermostability of these selected mutants are the current work.
Adam
MeyerResearch:
I use in vitro compartmentalization in order to evolve T7 RNA polymerase to do tricks.
Interests: music, baseball, college football, soccer, cooking, history, naps, coffee/tea, bears
Gwen
StovallBright green yeast punctates,
How, what, & why are you so?
Ade4 completes me.
UnderGraduates
Seyed "Arshia" ArshadResearch: Capillary Electrophoretic Assays and Aptamer Selection
Major: Biochemistry B.S.
Interests: cycling, basketball, coffee, music, movies, car stuff
Ben BraunResearch: Creating a software platform for DNA computation
Major: Turing Scholar Computer Science
Interests:
food preparation, drumming, listening to music
Neima
Briggs
Major: Dean’s
Scholars Biology Major.
Post-graduation plan: Pursue a MD/PhD.
Post-graduation plan: Pursue a MD/PhD.
Meredith Corley
Aaron
SeoResearch: I am working on a project with Christien Kluwe to develop an aptamer against the Musashi1 protein, which has been found to be upregulated in brain cancers such as medulloblastoma.
Major: B.S. Biology Honors, B.A. Plan II Honors
Interests: Eating food,
ultimate frisbee, singing karaoke, listening
to music, women
Admin
Staff
Ex-Lab Members
Jonathan
Cline
Website:
88 Proof Synth Bio Blog
Alexandra
HubbardResearch: protein characterization
Major: Anthropology
(BA), Biochemistry (BS)