PI

Postdoctoral Research: The Scripps Research Institute
Advisors: Kurt Wuthrich and Scott Lesley
NMR and X-ray crystallography of Membrane proteins.

PhD: The University of California Los Angeles (2001)
Advisor: Wayne Hubbell
Mapping protein backbone dynamics with EPR Spectroscopy and site – directed spin labeling.

BS: Smith College (1996)
Advisor: David Bickar

Professor Columbus is interested in accelerating membrane protein techniques to investigate the structure and dynamics of membrane proteins involved in bacterial pathogenesis.

Linda Columbus’ CV

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Laboratory Specialist

MS: University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland (2004)
Master of Science in Genetics at the Institute of Cytobiochemistry.

Izabela is currently cloning genes of membrane proteins involved in bacterial pathogenesis. She will continue to express and purify the family of Inc proteins found in Chlamydiae.

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Graduate Student

BS: Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University (2001)
M. Ed: Temple University, Educational Psychology (2006)
Alison conducted undergraduate research in the Guiltinan lab at the Penn State Biotechnology Institute, then taught chemistry and biology in Hershey, PA.

Alison’s research uses liposome (lipid vesicle) systems to investigate membrane proteins involved in bacterial pathogen – host interactions. Ultimately, her research aims to utilize the cellular hijacking mechanisms invented by pathogens (e.g. inducing phagocytosis, controlling cellular trafficking, and causing cell death) in the design of protein-decorated liposomes with novel characteristics desirable for drug delivery.

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Graduate Student

BS: Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh (2007)
Dan worked with Dr. David Pratt on rotationally resolved electronic spectroscopy and Dr. Megan Spence on solid state NMR of lipid bilayer systems.

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Graduate Student

BS: Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2007)
Brett worked with Dr. John Wright on ultrafast pulse recognition hardware and software design and implementation.

Brett aims to quantitatively understand the electron spin dynamics of nitroxide labeled cysteine mutants in the membrane bilayer. A well characterized α-helix membrane protein will be used as a model protein for this study. With knowledge of the structure, we hope to develop and modify current nitroxide spin label dynamic theories of soluble α-helical proteins for use in a bilayer environment.

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Graduate Student

BA: Chemistry, Franklin and Marshall College (2009)
Ryan worked with Dr. Rick Moog on determining the Kamlet-Taft solvent parameters for various micellar environments.

Ryan’s research aims to investigate the effects of detergents on the structure and function of membrane proteins.

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Graduate Student

BS: Chemistry, University of California Irvine (2005)
Bill worked with in the Chamberlin lab on the total synthesis of Tautomycin, a PP1 selective inhibitor.

The aim of Bill’s research is to study the interactions between membrane proteins and membrane mimetics; additionally, to develop a benchtop assay that yields insights into the thermodynamics/kinetics of membrane protein folding and its interactions with detergents/lipids, by doing so, will help to facilitate detergent screening for membrane proteins.

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Undergraduate Student - Fourth Year

Chemistry major

Ashley is working on expressing and purifying a clean sample of Inclusion Membrane Protein A (IncA) of Chlamydia Trachomatis. She plans to develop an effective purification protocol that will result in a gratifying sample for NMR structural studies. She would like to determine the structure of IncA.

Undergraduate Student - Fourth Year

Chemistry major

Justin is working on the purification and expression of outer membrane protein A (OmpA), a bacterial receptor that effects certain pathogenic invasions, which give rise to diseases such as neonatal meningitis. These samples will be used to obtain crystallographic data that will be correlated with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) structural studies.

Undergraduate Student - Third Year

Anthropology major

Tsiga is working on cloning genes of membrane protein of Chlamydia Trachomatis using PIPE cloning techniques. When achieving successful clones, she will be screening for the expression of the proteins.

Undergraduate Student - Third Year

Chemistry major

Jackie is researching membrane protein folding, in an attempt to optimize reconstitution into lipid membranes. She hopes to extend these studies with investigation of specific pathogen/host protein interactions involved in bacterial pathogenesis.

Undergraduate Student - Third Year