Jungu Kim
Email address: u6050905@utah.edu
Lab: Schmidt Lab
Background:
JunGu Kim completed his PhD at University of Chungbuk national university, Republic of Korea., where he focused on the research of bioactive constituents from the medicinal plants. He joined the lab of Eric W. Schmidt in 2023, and now focus on the research of biosynthetic enzymes from the marine organisms.
Research Interests:
Natural products biosynthesis.
Publications:
“Bioactive molecular network-guided discovery of dihydro-β-agarofurans from the fruits of Celastrus orbiculatus.” Kim JG, Le TPL, Han JS, Cho YB, Kwon H, Lee D, Lee MK, Hwang BY. Phytochemsitry. 2022, 203:113349.
“Sesquiterpenoids from Chrysanthemum indicum with Inhibitory Effects on NO Production.” Kim JG, Lee JW, Le TPL, Han JS, Cho YB, Kwon H, Lee D, Lee MK, Hwang BY. J Nat Prod. 2021, 84(3):562-569.
Rong Chen
Email address: rong.chen@pharm.utah.edu
Lab: Eric Schmidt Lab
Background:
Terpene biosynthesis of fungi
Research Interests:
Natural products biosynthesis
Publications:
· 1. Tao H#, Lauterbach L#, Bian G#, Chen R#, Hou A#, Mori T#, Cheng S, Hu B, Lu L, Mu X, Li M, Adachi N, Kawasaki M, Moriya T, Senda T, Wang X, Deng Z, Abe I*, Dickschat JS*, Liu T*. Discovery of non-squalene triterpenes. Nature 2022, 606(7913): 414-419. (# represent co-first author)
· 2. Chen R, Jia Q, Mu X, Hu B, Sun X, Deng Z, Chen F*, Bian G*, Liu T*. Systematic mining of fungal chimeric terpene synthases using an efficient precursor-providing yeast chassis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2021, 118(29): e2023247118.
· 3. Chen R, Feng T, Li M, Zhang X, He J, Hu B, Deng Z, Liu T, Liu J-K*, Wang X*, Bian G*. Characterization of Tremulane Sesquiterpene Synthase from the Basidiomycete Irpex lacteus. Org Lett 2022, 24(31): 5669-5673.
· 4. Chen R, Guo L-J, Li X-D, Li X-R, Hu K, Tang J-W, Ye N Z, Yan B C, Puno P-T. Phomopsischalins A–C, polycyclic-fused cytochalasins from the endophytic fungus Phomopsis sp. shj2 and their abilities to induce lysosomal function. Org Chem Front 2023, 10: 2218-2225.
· 5. Chen R, Tang J-W, Li X-R, Liu M, Ding W-P, Zhou Y-F, Wang W-G, Du X, Sun H-D, Puno P-T. Secondary Metabolites from the Endophytic Fungus Xylaria sp. hg1009. Natur Prod & Bioprosp 2018, 8(2): 121-129.
· 6. Yuan Y, Cheng S, Bian G, Yan P, Ma Z, Dai W, Chen R, Fu S, Huang H, Chi H, Cai Y, Deng Z, Liu T. Efficient exploration of terpenoid biosynthetic gene clusters in filamentous fungi. Nat Catal 2022, 5(4): 277-287.
· 7. Ma T, Chen R, Lv N, Chen Y, Qin H, Jiang H, Zhu J. Size-Transformable Bicomponent Peptide Nanoparticles for Deep Tumor Penetration and Photo-Chemo Combined Antitumor Therapy. Small 2022, 18(7): e2106291.
· 8. Deng X, Shi B, Ye Z, Huang M, Chen R, Cai Y, Kuang Z, Sun X, Bian G, Deng Z. Systematic identification of Ocimum sanctum sesquiterpenoid synthases and (−)-eremophilene overproduction in engineered yeast. Metab Eng 2022, 69: 122-133.
· 9. Rinkel J, Steiner ST, Bian G, Chen R, Liu T, Dickschat JS. A Family of Related Fungal and Bacterial Di‐and Sesterterpenes: Studies on Fusaterpenol and Variediene. Chembiochem 2020, 21(4): 486-491.
· 10. Tang J-W, Wang W-G, Li A, Yan B-C, Chen R, Li X-N, Du X, Sun H-D, Pu J-X. Polyketides from the endophytic fungus Phomopsis sp. sh917 by using the one strain/many compounds strategy. Tetrahedron 2017, 73(26): 3577-3584.
· 11. Ding W-P, Hu K, Liu M, Li X-R, Chen R, Li X-N, Du X, Puno P-T, Sun H-D.
Five new schinortriterpenoids from Schisandra propinqua var. propinqua. Fitoterapia 2018, 127: 193-200.
· 12. Tang J-W, Xu H-C, Wang W-G, Hu K, Zhou Y-F, Chen R, Li X-N, Du X, Sun H-D, Puno P-T. (+)- and (−)-Alternarilactone A: Enantiomers with a Diepoxy-Cage-like Scaffold from an Endophytic Alternaria sp. J Nat Prod 2019, 82(4): 735-740.
Albebson Lim
Email address: albebson.lim@pharm.utah.edu
Lab: Schmidt
Background:
Albeb received his undergraduate degree in Biology major in Microbiology at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, and his Master's degree in Marine Science, specializing in Marine Biology at the University of the Philippines Diliman. He started his PhD studies in 2020 at the University of Utah and finished in 2024. He is currently working on the discovery and mechanisms of shipworm symbiont-derived antibiotics.
Research interests:
Antimicrobial resistance, natural products, microbiology
Awards:
2024 John H. Weis Memorial Graduate Student Award
2023-2024 Skaggs Graduate Research Fellowship
Publications:
Peer-reviewed-
Moos PH, Carey AF, Joseph J, Kialo S, Norrie J, Moyareke JM, Amof A, Nogua H, Lim AL, Barrows LR. Description of bacterial RNA transcripts detected in Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected cells from peripheral human granulomas using single cell RNA sequencing. Virulence. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1080/21505594.2025.2547326
Lim AL, Miller BWM, Lin Z, Fisher M, Barrows LR, Haygood MG. Resistance mechanisms for Gram-negative bacteria-specific lipopeptide, turnercyclamycins, differ from that of colistin. Microbiol Spectr. 2023. 11, e02306-23. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.02306-23
Laude JMM*, Picart MRD*, Lim AL*, Tun JO*, Ramones CMV, Relin KFB, Chicote MO, Belen ED, Ratnayakeo R, Matthews J, Luesch H, Salvador-Reyes LA, Concepcion GP. Moringa oleifera compounds from seeds and extracts from leaves: anticancer and cancer chemopreventive properties: preparation of leaf extract-based herbal syrup. SciEnggJ. 2023. 15, 192-227. https://doi.org/10.54645/FKTG97181
Lim AL, Moos P, Pond CD, Larson EC, Martins LJ, Szaniawski MA, Planelles V, Barrows LR. HIV-1 provirus transcription and translation in macrophages differs from pre-integrated cDNA complexes and requires E2F transcriptional programs. Virulence. 2022. 13, 386-413. https://doi.org/10.1080/21505594.2022.2031583
Miller BW, Lim AL, Lin Z, Bailey J, Aoyagi KL, Fisher MA, Barrows LR, Manoil C, Schmidt EW, Haygood MG. Shipworm symbiosis ecology-driven discovery of an antibiotic that kills colistin-resistant Acinetobacter. Cell Chem Biol. 2021. 18, 1628-1637. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chembiol.2021.05.003
Paguigan ND, Yan Y, Karthikeyan M, Chase K, Carter J, Leavitt LS, Lim AL, Lin Z, Memon T, Christensen S, Bentzen BH, Schmitt N, Reilly CA, Teichert RW, Raghuraman S, Olivera BM, Schmidt EW. The tunicate metabolite 2-(3,5-diiodo-4-methoxyphenyl)ethan-1-amine targets ion channels of vertebrate sensory neurons. ACS Chem Biol. 2021. 16, 1654-1662. https://doi.org/10.1021/acschembio.1c00328
Paguigan ND, Tun JO, Leavitt LS, Lin Z, Chase K, Dowell C, Deering-Rice CE, Lim AL, Karthikeyan M, Hughen RW, Zhang J, Peterson RT, Reilly CA, Light AR, Raghuraman S, McInthosh JM, Olivera BM, Schmidt EW. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial antagonist polyamides from tunicates and their predatory sea slugs. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2021. 12, 2693-2704. https://doi.org/10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00345
Larson EC, Lim AL, Pond CD, Craft M, Cavuzic M, Waldrop GL, Schmidt EW, Barrows LR. Pyrrolocin C and equisetin inhibit bacterial acetyl-CoA carboxylase. PLoS One. 2020. 15, e0233485. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233485
Lacerna NM, Miller BW, Lim AL, Tun JO, Robes JMD, Cleofas MJB, Lin Z, Salvador-Reyes LA, Haygood MG, Schmidt EW, Concepcion GP. Mindapyrroles A-C, pyoluteorin analogues from a shipworm-associated bacterium. J Nat Prod. 2019. 82, 1024-1028. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jnatprod.8b00979
*denotes equal contribution
Preprint-
Moos PJ, Carey AF, Joseph J, Kialo S, Norrie J, Moyareke JM, Amof A, Nogua H, Lim AL, Barrows LR. Single cell analysis of peripheral TB-associated granulomatous lymphahdenitis. bioRxiv. 2024. 05.2.88.596301. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.05.28.596301
In revision-
Lim AL, Miller BW, Fisher MA, Haygood MG, Barrows LR, Schmidt EW. Differential membrane lipid disruption by lipopeptide antibiotics. 2025. (For Nature Communications)
Suprakash Biswas
Email address: u6043512@utah.edu
Lab: Franzini
Background:
Suprakash is a postdoctoral researcher in the Franzini Lab at University of Utah. He is involved in developing highly stable and reactive bio-orthogonally removable drug conjugate. He completed his Bachelor of Science (BSc) & Master of Science (MSc) in Chemistry from University of Calcutta & Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. He obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal.
Research interests:
With a background training in multiple disciplines including synthetic organic chemistry, molecular spectroscopy & fluorescence imaging he aspires to develop new molecular tools to identify efficient drug carrier as well as their release in human body. Specifically, he wants to modulate bio-orthogonal release by promoting the cycloaddition reaction between tetrazine and isonitriles.
Awards:
CSIR-NETJRF (India), GATE, Raman-Charpak Fellowship, Young Scientist (MPCST-India)
Publications:
Chemical Science , 12 (28), 9630-9644, 2021
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2022
Megan Browning
Email address: Meganelizabethbrowning@gmail.com
Lab: Barrios
Background:
For my predoctoral work I studied under Dr. Cynthia Burrows and made several novel protein mutants to build a unique molecular device which was able to sense RNA modifications and non-conventional DNA folds which required a combination of biochemical and analytical chemistry knowledge. This work is finished, though unpublished due to a combination of the coronavirus pandemic and health issues but is forthcoming. Thus far in my post-doctoral training under the mentorship of Dr. Amy Barrios I have used a previously described fluorescent tool to record enzyme activity in live cells.
Research interests:
Peptides, Molecular tools, Drug discovery, DNA/RNA
Awards:
2022 Postdoctoral Travel Assistance Award
2016 Dow Chemical First-Year Scholarship Award
2014 Brigham Young University-Idaho Faculty Recognition Award
2010 Boyd A. Waite Scholarship, Brigham Young University
2009 Undergraduate Research Award, Brigham Young University
2008 Undergraduate Teaching Award, Brigham Young University
2008 Undergraduate Research Award, Brigham Young University
Dalles Keyes
Email address: dalles.keyes@pharm.utah.edu
Lab: Barrios
Background:
Dalles obtained his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Southern Utah University in 2017. He completed his PhD in Chemistry at the University of Utah in 2022 with a dissertation of “Selective Strategies for the Modification of Tyrosine and Tyrosine-Containing Peptides”. Dalles is currently a postdoctoral research associate in the Barrios Laboratory and working toward developing novel small molecule- and peptide-based inhibitors of various protein phosphatases.
Research interests:
Peptide synthesis and modification, organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, reaction development, protein tyrosine and protein histidine phosphatase inhibition.
Awards:
Gary E. Keck Endowed Graduate Fellowship (2022)
NIH-funded T32 Institutional Pre-doctoral Training Grant - Honorable Mention (2018)
Dow Chemical First-Year Graduate Student Scholarship (2017 – 2018)
Publications:
“Photosensitized Oxidative Dimerization at Tyrosine by a Water-Soluble 4-Amino-1,8-naphthalimide” Keyes, E.D.; Kauser, K.; Warner, K.S.; Roberts, A.G. ChemBioChem. 2021, 22, 2703-2710. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbic.202100193
“Creating a Natural Vascular Scaffold by Photochemical Treatment of the Extracellular Matrix for Vascular Applications” Kauser, K.; Warner, K.S.; Anderson, B; Keyes, E.D.; Hayes, R.B.; Kawamoto, E.; Perkins, D.H.; Scott, R.; Isaacson, J.; Haberer, B.; Spaans, A.; Utecht, R.; Hauser, H.; Roberts, A.G.; Greenburg, M. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 683. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23020683
“Chemoselective, Oxidation-Induced Macrocyclization of Tyrosine-Containing Peptides” Keyes, E.D.; Mifflin, M.C.; Austin, M.J.; Alvey, B.J.; Lovely, L.H.; Smith, A.; Rose, T.E.; Buck-Koehntop, B.A.; Motwani, J.; Roberts, A.G. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023. Article ASAP. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c00210
Adam Hogendorf
Email address: u6046456@umail.utah.edu
Lab: Franzini Lab
Background:
PhD Jagiellonian University, Department of Chemistry, PhD thesis “Aromatic basic groups in the design and synthesis of serotonin receptor ligands” - research conducted in Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences
Research Interests:
DNA encoded libraries, organic synthesis, asymmetric synthesis, multi-component reactions, pharmacology of OUN, GPCR's, painkillers, serotonin system
Publications:
Hogendorf, A. S. et al. Fluorinated indole-imidazole conjugates: Selective orally bioavailable 5-HT7 receptor low-basicity agonists, potential neuropathic painkillers Eur. J. Med. Chem. 2019, 170, 261-275,
Hogendorf, A. S. et al. 2-Aminoimidazole-based antagonists of the 5-HT6 receptor– a new concept in aminergic GPCR ligand design. Eur. J. Med. Chem. 2019, 179, 1-15,
Hogendorf, A. S. et al. Low-basicity 5-HT7 Receptor Agonists Synthesized Using the van Leusen Multicomponent Protocol Sci. Rep. 2017, 7, Article number: 1444
Award:
START scholarship of the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP),
Best poster at the EFMC-ASMC conference, Vienna, Austria 2017,
Best poster at the ESMEC conference, Urbino, Italy 2018