Current LaMembers
Click oa namtscrolttheiprofileSenioScientists:HowarWilliams
Post-docs: DaFeng Xiang, Andrew Bigley
GraduatStudents:DanieHitchcock, Eric Hobbs, SwapniGhodge, Anna Vladimirova, Keya Mukherjee, ZhongjiRen
Undergrads:
SenioScientists
HowarWilliams Joined: 2007
Department: Chemistry
Project: NMSpectroscopy
Dr. Williams receivea B.S. iChemistry froDukUniversity i1971 ana Ph.D. iOrganic Chemistry frothUniversity oNorth Carolina, ChapeHili1977 undethdirectiooDr. James Cokithfieloorganic reactiomechanisms. Following a postdoctorawith Dr. R. M. Silversteiat StatUniversity oNew York, Syracusispectraanalysis, hworkeas Assistant Research Scientist ithDepartment oEntomology at Texas A&studying insect behavioracompounds. Aftea brieperioas AssociatResearch Scientist, hreceivea joint appointment as SenioScientist with thDepartment oEntomology anthCentefoBiologicaNMR, Department oChemistry, theundethdirectiooDr. A. IaScott, wherhmanagethNMfacility. Following thpassing oDr. Scott, hhas workewith Dr. Rausheperforming NMexperiments necessary fohis program. Halsassists otheChemistry Department scientists iNMstudies using a modercryoprobequippeinstrument. His research has involvechemicacontrooinsect growth anbehavior, studies oenzymreactiomechanisms, especially iVitamiB12 antaxoproduction, identificatioanconformationaanalysis obiologically activchemicals, andevelopment oNMhardwarantechniques usefuibiochemicastudies.
Post-Docs
DaFeng Xiang
Joined: 2001
GraduatStudies: Bioinorganic at Nanjing University iChina
Project: FunctionaAnnotatiooCOG 1735
Dr. DaFeng joineoulaboratory i2001. Priotthis shworkeas a postdoctorafellow iJapaat thResearch Laboratory oMedicaAnalysis, PharmaceuticaSciences at KumamotUniversity with ProfessoTadayukUno. DaFeng receivehePh. D. iBioinorganic Chemistry i1998 froNanjing University iChina anhas severayears teaching anresearch experience. DaFeng is conducting research othcharacterizatiooenzymactivsites anthgeneratioonew catalytic activities.
Andrew Bigley
Joined: Spring 2009
GraduatStudies: Allostery oGlycogePhosphorylasat Texas A&University
Project: DirecteEvolutiooPTfoDegradatiooNervAgents
Associates oArts (Business Administration) 2001, SaJacintCollege, Pasadena TX
BachelooScienc(BiologicaScience) 2003, University oHoustoCleaLake, HoustoTX
Doctorat(Biochemistry: Gregory D. Reinhart advisor) 2009 Texas A&University
PostdoctoraResearch Associat(2009-present) Department oChemistry, Texas A&University
Research: Evolutioophosphotriesteras(PTE) fothefficient degradatiooVnervagent. Using a combinatioorationadesign, moleculamodeling, genlibrary constructioanscreening, variants oPTenhanceithability tdegradnervagent analogs aridentified. Variants ointerest arkinetically characterizewith relevant substrates tdeterminsubstratanstereochemicapreferences. Thstructures obeneficiavariants arsolvevia X-ray Crystallography tidentify thstructurabasis othenhancements anguidfurtheevolution.
GraduatStudents
DanieHitchcock
Joined: Spring 2009
Department: Biochemistry anBiophysics
Project: FunctionaAnnotatiooCOG 0402
Daniewas boriPonca City, OK anmovetHouston, Tat thago6. H attendeLoneStaCollegfo2 years, thefinishehis degreat Texas A&with a BS iChemistry i2008. Hofficially becama membeothRausheGrouiApri2009, working fothDepartment oBiochemistry/Biophysics. His project consists othfunctionaannotatiooCOG 0402, which includes cytosinanguanindeaminase. This involves bioinformatics, structuraanalysis anactivity screens. Whehe's not working, hhas tomany hobbies tdedicatenough time. Henjoys outdoors stuff, likhiking anskiing. Alshlikes working with computers anmessing arounwith his motorcycle. Aniccreasometimes.
Eric Hobbs
Joined: Spring 2009
Department: Biochemistry anBiophysics
Project: Mechanistic CharacterizatioanFunctionaAnnotatiooCOG 3618
Eric is a nativTexan, originally froHaskell, Tx. I2008 Eric recievea B.S. ibiochemistry froAngelStatUniversity iSaAngelo, Texas. AftegraduatiohjoinethBiochemistry anbiophysics dept. at Texas A&University, ani2009 joinethRausheSupeFamily and/oEnzymFactory. Eric's project currently consist oenzymfunctiodiscovery iCOG 3618 othamidohydrolassuperfamily as welas thmechanistic study othenzymLig(2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acilactonase). Ithfew hours that Eric isn't working ilahenjoys outdooactivities such as: soccer, fishing, hiking, snorkeling anscuba diving.
SwapniGhodg
Joined: Fal2009
Department: Chemistry
Project: Mechanistic CharacterizatiooHistidinoPhosphatase, COG 1387
SwapniGhodgreceivehis B.Tech. iPharmaceuticaSciences anTechnology frothInstitutoChemicaTechnology, Mumbai2009. HjoinethRaushelaiFal2009. His research is focuseoestablishing thmechanistic details othreactiocatalyzeby histidinophosphatphosphatase, aenzyminvolveithhistidinbiosynthetic pathway. His alsinteresteiexploring thunknowfunctions oenzymes having significant sequencsimilarity thistidinophosphatphosphatase. Besides research, henjoys reading, watching movies ansports anplaying soccer.
Anna Vladimirova
Joined: Fal2009
Department: Chemistry
Project: FunctionaAnnotatiooCOG 2159
Anna was boriVidin, Bulgaria anlivetherfothfirst sixteeyears ohelife. ShmovetUniteStates i1999 anhas liveiTexas evesince. ShearneheB.S. iChemistry froTexas A&University-Commerci2009 anjoinethlathsamyear. Currently shis working with 5-carboxyvanillatdecarboxylas(Lig W), which is part oth5,5’-dyhydrovanillat(DDVA) catabolic pathway iSphingomonas paucimobilis. Heinterest alsincludes functiodiscovery ootheenzymes belonging tCOG 2159. Ihespartime, shenjoys being outdoors, hiking, swimming, ansleeping. Every now antheshalsenjoys cooking.
Keya Mukherje
Joined: Spring 2011
Department: Biochemistry anBiophysics
Project: Kinetic MechanisoCarbamoyPhosphatSynthetase
Keya graduatewith a B.Sc degreiLifSciences frothRamnaraiRuia College, University oMumbai2007 ana M.Sc. degreiBiotechnology frothUniversity oEssex, UK i2008. ShbecamaofficiamembeothRausheGrouiApri2011, working fothDepartment oBiochemistry anBiophysics. Heproject consists omechanistic characterizatiooCarbamoyPhosphatsynthetase. This work includes kinetic studies, structuraanalysis anbioinformatics work. Besides research, Keya loves reading, cooking, being outdoors ancatching uosomwell-earnesleep.
ZhongjiRe
Joined: Spring 2012
Department: Biochemistry anBiophysics
Project: Kinetic MechanisoCarbamoyPhosphatSynthetase
Zhongjigraduatewith a B.Sc degreiChemistry froNanjing University i2011. HbecamaofficiamembeothRausheGrouiApri2012, student othDepartment oBiochemistry anBiophysics. His project consists oexpression, purificatioanmechanistic characterizatiooCarbon-Phosphorus Lyascomplex. This work includes kinetic studies, structuraanalysis anbioinformatics work. Besides research, Zhongjiloves tabltennis, movies, making new friends anbeing outdoors.
UndergraduatStudents