Research Labs

Dr. Andrew Andrews

• The role of histone chaperones in chromatin dynamics
• Histone acetyltransferases (Rtt109, p300 and CBP)
• Multiproduct enzymology
• Targeted quantitative mass spectrometry for enzymology

Dr. Winifred Johnson

• Microbial cycling of dissolved organic matter and its role in the marine carbon cycle
• Mass spectrometry, metabolomics, analysis of small molecules
• Emerging contaminants in aquatic coastal environments

Dr. Bart Jones

• Determination of formation constants of highly preorganized ligands with metals of interest in biochemical and nuclear energy applications using UV-Vis absorbance, fluorescence, and NMR spectroscopies.
• Examination of the participation of lanthanoid f orbitals in metal ligand bonding
• Determination of formation constants of highly preorganized low solubility ligands with lanthanoids using long path length UV-Vis absorbance

Dr. Bob Kieber

• Aquatic photochemistry especially as it relates to resuspended estuarine sediments
• Metal speciation in atmospheric and surface waters
• Dissolved organic carbon cycling in marine and atmospheric waters
• Air sea exchange processes and global flux determination

Dr. Remington X. Poulin

• Investigating how natural products structure marine communities
• Leveraging ecological relevance of marine natural products for drug discovery
• Combinatorial mass spectrometry- and nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics
• Development of analytical methodologies for biotechnology and industrial applications
• Expansion of inclusivity in chemistry and science via expanded mentorship networks

Dr. Wendy Strangman

• Bacterial natural product chemistry and structure elucidation
• Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics
• Harmful algal bloom toxins and new bioactive compound discovery
• Dissolved organic matter cycling on coral reefs
• Medicinal plant extract pharmacokinetics

Dr. Michael Webb

• Instrument and technique development for diverse analytical spectroscopy applications.
• Solution-cathode glow discharge: detecting trace metals with a small plasma.
• Spectral imaging: chemical information from images, including detecting forgeries.
• Microcontroller-based spectroscopy: Arduinos, LEDs, & 3D printing used for inexpensive educational and field instruments.

Dr. R. Thomas Williamson

• Marine Natural Products Drug Discovery
• Development and application of new methods for molecular characterization with an emphasis on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
• Analytical method development for biotechnology and industrial applications

Dr. Antje Almeida

• Peptide-Lipid Interactions
• Antimicrobial Peptides
• Structure and Function of Lipid Bilayers
• Lipopeptide Design

Dr. Paulo Almeida

• Peptide-Lipid Interactions in Membranes
• Lipid-Lipid and Lipid-Cholesterol Interactions in Membranes
• Membrane-Active Peptides: Cell-Penetrating Peptides, Antimicrobial Peptides
• Membrane b-Barrel Proteins and Peptides
• Biophysical Education

Dr. Andrew Andrews

• The role of histone chaperones in chromatin dynamics
• Histone acetyltransferases (Rtt109, p300 and CBP)
• Multiproduct enzymology
• Targeted quantitative mass spectrometry for enzymology

Dr. Ming Dong

• Structural determination and function analysis of enzymes
• Redox and phosphorylation regulated cellular proteins
• Protein dynamics and how it relates to catalysis process
• Enzyme-inhibitor complexes and design

Dr. Chris Halkides

• Synthesize covalent inhibitors against aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase
• Synthesize Trojan horse inhibitors to cross microbial membranes
• Use chemical modification to mimic a labile cysteine phosphate intermediate in protein tyrosine phosphatases
• Study the role of forensic errors in wrongful convictions

Dr. Hee-Seung Lee

• Understanding the action of cell-penetrating and antimicrobial peptides against cell-membrane via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and developing efficient cargo-delivery peptides that can bring drugs to the interior of target cell
• Understanding the catalytic activity of the binding pockets in enzymatic proteins via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations
• Investigating the nature of chemical bonding involving Lanthanides and Actinides using density functional theory (DFT) method
• Understanding the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanisms of fluorescent ion sensors using time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) method to develop efficient metal ion sensors
• DFT studies of reaction mechanism, such as electrophilic radical addition to anamine

Dr. Sridhar Varadarajan

• Design and Investigation of site-specific DNA-damaging agents targeting cancer cells.
• Developing the use of nuclear receptors for delivery of toxins to the DNA of cells.
• Mechanistic investigations of DNA-damage induced cell toxicity.
• Synthesis of anti-inflammatory compounds for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Ying Wang

• Macromolecular condensation in biological systems
  • age-related and hereditary cataracts
  • ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules
• Biopharmaceutical formulations
  • concentrated therapeutic monoclonal antibody formulations
  • mRNA lipid nanoparticle formulations
  • dissolvable microneedle array patch (dMAP) delivery system
• Protein engineering
  • structure-based design of pan-influenza vaccines

Dr. Paulo Almeida

• Peptide-Lipid Interactions in Membranes
• Lipid-Lipid and Lipid-Cholesterol Interactions in Membranes
• Membrane-Active Peptides: Cell-Penetrating Peptides, Antimicrobial Peptides
• Membrane b-Barrel Proteins and Peptides
• Biophysical Education

Dr. Nathaniel Grove

• Factors influencing meaningful /rote learning in chemistry
• Factors influencing epistemological development in chemistry
• Development of representational competence in chemistry
• Use of technology in teaching chemistry

Dr. Mike Messina

• Computational quantum dynamics
• H atom tunneling in enzyme-catalyzed quantum dynamics
• The coupled electron-nuclear quantum dynamics of metal-mediated dihydrogen activation
• Development of Modules for the real-time visualization of laser-molecule interactions (UV, IR)
• Development of algorithms for solving the time-dependent Schrodinger equation for long-time non-adiabatic processes

Dr. Brooks Avery

• Global carbon cycling in the atmosphere, water column, and sediments anthropogenic and biogenic).
• Effect of global warming and sea level rise on the remineralization of organic matter in coastal and estuarine sediments.
• Biogeochemical controls on methyl mercury production and flux in estuarine sediments.
• Isotopic characterization of carbon to elucidate sources and cycling of organic matter.

Dr. Winifred Johnson

• Microbial cycling of dissolved organic matter and its role in the marine carbon cycle
• Mass spectrometry, metabolomics, analysis of small molecules
• Emerging contaminants in aquatic coastal environments

Dr. Bob Kieber

• Aquatic photochemistry especially as it relates to resuspended estuarine sediments
• Metal speciation in atmospheric and surface waters
• Dissolved organic carbon cycling in marine and atmospheric waters
• Air sea exchange processes and global flux determination

Dr. Remington X. Poulin

• Investigating how natural products structure marine communities
• Leveraging ecological relevance of marine natural products for drug discovery
• Combinatorial mass spectrometry- and nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics
• Development of analytical methodologies for biotechnology and industrial applications
• Expansion of inclusivity in chemistry and science via expanded mentorship networks

Dr. Steve Skrabal

• Trace metals in water, sediments, biota
• Photochemistry of resuspendable sediments
• Sediment-water exchange
• Trace metal speciation in estuarine and marine waters

Dr. Wendy Strangman

• Bacterial natural product chemistry and structure elucidation
• Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics
• Harmful algal bloom toxins and new bioactive compound discovery
• Dissolved organic matter cycling on coral reefs
• Medicinal plant extract pharmacokinetics

Dr. R. Thomas Williamson

• Marine Natural Products Drug Discovery
• Development and application of new methods for molecular characterization with an emphasis on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
• Analytical method development for biotechnology and industrial applications

Dr. Nicholas Chiappini

• Leveraging the efficiency of hydrosilylation of alkenes to build carbon-element bonds from carbon-silicon bonds using both polar (2 e-) and also photoredox (1 e-) catalysis
• Developing new synthetic routes to organobismuth compounds from non-classical precursors and their use in functionalizing small molecules
• Studying fundamental oxidative and reductive organometallic reactivity of heteroleptic organobismuth compounds
• C–H bond amination in new contexts using rhodium and other transition and non-transition metal catalysts

Dr. Thomas Coombs

• Organocatalysis (using small organic molecules to catalyze chemical reactions)
• Photochemical method development employing ultraviolet and visible light
• Exploration of novel applications for organic azides

Dr. Chris Halkides

• Synthesize covalent inhibitors against aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase
• Synthesize Trojan horse inhibitors to cross microbial membranes
• Use chemical modification to mimic a labile cysteine phosphate intermediate in protein tyrosine phosphatases
• Study the role of forensic errors in wrongful convictions

Dr. Jeremy Morgan

• Student training in organic reaction development
• New catalytic methods for the synthesis of chiral, non-racemic organic molecules
• Discovery of small molecule pharmaceuticals for the treatment of human disease
• Understanding organometallic mechanism in enantioselective catalysis

Dr. Remington X. Poulin

• Investigating how natural products structure marine communities
• Leveraging ecological relevance of marine natural products for drug discovery
• Combinatorial mass spectrometry- and nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics
• Development of analytical methodologies for biotechnology and industrial applications
• Expansion of inclusivity in chemistry and science via expanded mentorship networks

Dr. Wendy Strangman

• Bacterial natural product chemistry and structure elucidation
• Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics
• Harmful algal bloom toxins and new bioactive compound discovery
• Dissolved organic matter cycling on coral reefs
• Medicinal plant extract pharmacokinetics

Dr. Sridhar Varadarajan

• Design and Investigation of site-specific DNA-damaging agents targeting cancer cells.
• Developing the use of nuclear receptors for delivery of toxins to the DNA of cells.
• Mechanistic investigations of DNA-damage induced cell toxicity.
• Synthesis of anti-inflammatory compounds for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. R. Thomas Williamson

• Marine Natural Products Drug Discovery
• Development and application of new methods for molecular characterization with an emphasis on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
• Analytical method development for biotechnology and industrial applications

Dr. Antje Almeida

• Peptide-Lipid Interactions
• Antimicrobial Peptides
• Structure and Function of Lipid Bilayers
• Lipopeptide Design

Dr. Paulo Almeida

• Peptide-Lipid Interactions in Membranes
• Lipid-Lipid and Lipid-Cholesterol Interactions in Membranes
• Membrane-Active Peptides: Cell-Penetrating Peptides, Antimicrobial Peptides
• Membrane b-Barrel Proteins and Peptides
• Biophysical Education

Dr. Hee-Seung Lee

• Understanding the action of cell-penetrating and antimicrobial peptides against cell-membrane via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and developing efficient cargo-delivery peptides that can bring drugs to the interior of target cell
• Understanding the catalytic activity of the binding pockets in enzymatic proteins via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations
• Investigating the nature of chemical bonding involving Lanthanides and Actinides using density functional theory (DFT) method
• Understanding the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanisms of fluorescent ion sensors using time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) method to develop efficient metal ion sensors
• DFT studies of reaction mechanism, such as electrophilic radical addition to anamine

Dr. Mike Messina

• Computational quantum dynamics
• H atom tunneling in enzyme-catalyzed quantum dynamics
• The coupled electron-nuclear quantum dynamics of metal-mediated dihydrogen activation
• Development of Modules for the real-time visualization of laser-molecule interactions (UV, IR)
• Development of algorithms for solving the time-dependent Schrodinger equation for long-time non-adiabatic processes

Dr. Ying Wang

• Macromolecular condensation in biological systems
  • age-related and hereditary cataracts
  • ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules
• Biopharmaceutical formulations
  • concentrated therapeutic monoclonal antibody formulations
  • mRNA lipid nanoparticle formulations
  • dissolvable microneedle array patch (dMAP) delivery system
• Protein engineering
  • structure-based design of pan-influenza vaccines 

Dr. R. Thomas Williamson

• Marine Natural Products Drug Discovery
• Development and application of new methods for molecular characterization with an emphasis on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
• Analytical method development for biotechnology and industrial applications

Dr. Antje Almeida

• Peptide-Lipid Interactions
• Antimicrobial Peptides
• Structure and Function of Lipid Bilayers
• Lipopeptide Design

Dr. Andrew Andrews

• The role of histone chaperones in chromatin dynamics
• Histone acetyltransferases (Rtt109, p300 and CBP)
• Multiproduct enzymology
• Targeted quantitative mass spectrometry for enzymology

Dr. Thomas Coombs

• Organocatalysis (using small organic molecules to catalyze chemical reactions)
• Photochemical method development employing ultraviolet and visible light
• Exploration of novel applications for organic azides

Dr. Chris Halkides

• Synthesize covalent inhibitors against aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase
• Synthesize Trojan horse inhibitors to cross microbial membranes
• Use chemical modification to mimic a labile cysteine phosphate intermediate in protein tyrosine phosphatases
• Study the role of forensic errors in wrongful convictions

Dr. Hee-Seung Lee

• Understanding the action of cell-penetrating and antimicrobial peptides against cell-membrane via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and developing efficient cargo-delivery peptides that can bring drugs to the interior of target cell
• Understanding the catalytic activity of the binding pockets in enzymatic proteins via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations
• Investigating the nature of chemical bonding involving Lanthanides and Actinides using density functional theory (DFT) method
• Understanding the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanisms of fluorescent ion sensors using time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) method to develop efficient metal ion sensors
• DFT studies of reaction mechanism, such as electrophilic radical addition to anamine

Dr. Jeremy Morgan

• Student training in organic reaction development
• New catalytic methods for the synthesis of chiral, non-racemic organic molecules
• Discovery of small molecule pharmaceuticals for the treatment of human disease
• Understanding organometallic mechanism in enantioselective catalysis

Dr. Remington X. Poulin

• Investigating how natural products structure marine communities
• Leveraging ecological relevance of marine natural products for drug discovery
• Combinatorial mass spectrometry- and nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics
• Development of analytical methodologies for biotechnology and industrial applications
• Expansion of inclusivity in chemistry and science via expanded mentorship networks

Dr. Wendy Strangman

• Bacterial natural product chemistry and structure elucidation
• Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics
• Harmful algal bloom toxins and new bioactive compound discovery
• Dissolved organic matter cycling on coral reefs
• Medicinal plant extract pharmacokinetics

Dr. Sridhar Varadarajan

• Design and Investigation of site-specific DNA-damaging agents targeting cancer cells.
• Developing the use of nuclear receptors for delivery of toxins to the DNA of cells.
• Mechanistic investigations of DNA-damage induced cell toxicity.
• Synthesis of anti-inflammatory compounds for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Ying Wang

• Macromolecular condensation in biological systems
  • age-related and hereditary cataracts
  • ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules
• Biopharmaceutical formulations
  • concentrated therapeutic monoclonal antibody formulations
  • mRNA lipid nanoparticle formulations
  • dissolvable microneedle array patch (dMAP) delivery system
• Protein engineering
  • structure-based design of pan-influenza vaccines 

Dr. R. Thomas Williamson

• Marine Natural Products Drug Discovery
• Development and application of new methods for molecular characterization with an emphasis on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
• Analytical method development for biotechnology and industrial applications