Tags: Analytical Seminar

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) - polypeptides that lack a defined three-dimensional structure – are commonplace in eukaryotic proteomes and often have critical impact on correct functioning of biological processes. IDPs can mediate low affinity interactions between proteins and serve as a scaffold or intermediate binding agent. Malfunctions in IDPs can lead to protein aggregation and various diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s,…
Surgical resection remains a primary treatment for solid tumors. However, achieving tumor-free margins during surgery is challenging. Residual cancer cells at surgical margins are associated with increased recurrence and reduced survival rates. Intraoperative evaluation of surgical margins could enable more complete resection and reduce positive margins. Traditional frozen section histopathology has limitations including time-consumption,…
The size and composition of atmospheric aerosol particles modulate their interactions with solar radiation, and thus their influence on climate and visibility. The radiative effects of aerosol particles remain a large uncertainty in accurately modeling and predicting current and future climates. Recent work has demonstrated the presence of organic surfactant molecules in atmospheric aerosol particles, and their sources and transformations in the…
Richard A. Dluhy,1 Amareshwari Konutham1, Shaiju S Nazeer1, Joo-Yeun Oh2, Amit Gaggar2, and Rakesh P. Patel2,  1Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 352942Department of Pathology and Center for Free Radical Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294 Degradative changes that occur during storage of red blood cells (RBCs) include hemolysis, followed by formation of…
Pyrogenic organic matter (PyOM, aka ‘black carbon’) generated via the incomplete combustion of biomass or fossil fuels is an important component in soil, atmospheric, sedimentary, and aquatic environments. In particular, the condensed aromatic compounds (ConAC) in PyOM are slow-cycling rendering them important to global carbon cycles and the sequestration of carbon in soils. Recently, the dissolvable component of PyOM (PyDOM) has received…
The functional role of a biological molecule hinges on its unique structure. The context by which structure impacts function is a vital piece of information that can provide insight into underlying biological processes. One set of biological molecules that have received renewed interest for their biological significance and potential role as markers of cellular dysfunction are lipids. Cellular lipids have significant potential to inform on…
The Center for Applied Isotope Studies (CAIS) is a multidisciplinary scientific research unit and core service facility within the UGA Office of Research that specializes in the quantification of isotope ratios using mass spectrometry. In this talk, I present a broad overview of (1) common applications of isotope studies in archaeology, ecology, geology, food sciences, and forensics; (2) our unique analytical facility, which houses a state-of…
Significant scientific attention has been spent on the elucidation of protein’s structure to explain its function. Lots of proteins stay around cell membrane or vesicles to facilitate cellular metabolism. These proteins usually form monolayer structure around cell membrane/vesicles and therefore cause challenges for the measurements of X-ray crystallography and NMR, which cannot provide high resolution results for proteins in monolayer. To…
Glycation is an important post-translational modification that is linked to diabetes, cataract, Alzheimer’s, Rheumatoid arthritis and Parkinson’s disease.1 This reaction occurs between a reducing sugar and a primary amine at the N-terminus of protein or the sidechain of Lysine residues.  Ultimately this interaction leads to advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that are associated with several disease complications.2 Glycation could also…
Exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics throughout daily life is inevitable, yet still poses a variety of unknowns and concerns in biological and environmental systems. Microplastics are defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) as all plastic particles <5mm in size; either produced to be that size (primary) or via degradation of larger particles (secondary). Ubiquitous in nature, microplastics have successfully…