Biomolecular Sciences Seminar Series

Dr. Ramaswamy Subramanian

Title: Finding New Folds and Mechanisms -Breaking Down Anthropogenic Molecules

Abstract:

Anthropogenic molecules are chemical compounds created or significantly altered by human activities rather than occurring naturally in the environment. They can be found in various products and materials used in everyday life, as well as in industrial processes and waste streams. These molecules are synthesized in laboratories or industrial settings, often for specific purposes such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, or plastics. Due to widespread use and disposal, many anthropogenic molecules have become ubiquitous in the environment.

Many bacteria have developed enzymatic pathways to break down complex synthetic molecules. Enzymes that degrade anthropogenic compounds without sequence homology to known enzymes offer a valuable means to identify novel structures and mechanisms. For the past 30 years, our laboratory has employed this approach. In my talk, I will present our research on the structure and mechanism of two enzymes: naphthalene 1,2-dioxygenase, which metabolizes aromatic hydrocarbons, and dimethyl formamidase. I will talk about recent unpublished work on the enzymes that break down TMAO.

Hosts: Drs. Charlier and Nagarajan, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry