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X-WR-CALNAME:Chemistry Special Seminar: “Greasing the Protein Gears: Harn
 essing Lipidation for  Next-Generation Biomaterials and Therapeutics” 
 ” 
X-WR-TIMEZONE:Eastern Time (US & Canada)
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20261017T090557Z
UID:tag:localist.com\,2008:EventInstance_48986027391134
DTSTART:20250228T170000Z
DTEND:20250228T180000Z
DESCRIPTION:Join us to hear from Davoud Mozhdehi about his research at Syra
 cuse University!\n\nAbstract: Recent advances in recombinant DNA technolog
 y have enabled the precise design and production of protein-based material
 s\, offering unprecedented control over their composition\, structure\, an
 d function. Yet\, the limited repertoire of canonical amino acids restrict
 s the chemical diversity—and thus the functionality—of these biomateri
 als. To address this limitation\, we draw inspiration from a solution offe
 red by Nature: leveraging specific chemical transformations to modify prot
 eins with non-proteinogenic building blocks\, a process called post-transl
 ational modification (PTM)\, which expands the chemical diversity of the p
 roteome by more than two orders of magnitude. Motivated by this bioinspire
 d strategy\, my lab focuses on leveraging protein lipidation to create de 
 novo hybrid biopolymers with programmable structure and function. Although
  the chemical biology of lipidation has garnered intense interest\, method
 s for producing lipidated proteins in a scalable\, cost-effective manner r
 emain scarce. Conventional approaches are hindered by the ribosome’s str
 ict preference for amino acid-derived motifs or by labor-intensive and tec
 hnically challenging semi-synthetic routes. ribosome’s strict preference
  for amino acid-derived motifs or by labor-intensive and technically chall
 enging semi-synthetic routes.\nTo overcome these hurdles\, we have develop
 ed high-yield biosynthetic methods for producing lipidated proteins\, enab
 ling systematic investigation of their structure and properties. Our findi
 ngs reveal that the nano-assembly and liquid–liquid phase separation beh
 aviors of lipidated proteins diverge markedly from predictions based on sy
 nthetic polymeric surfactants or peptide–amphiphiles. Although lipid moi
 eties represent only a small fraction of the overall molecular mass\, thei
 r pronounced hydrophobicity significantly alters protein hydration and int
 er-domain interactions\, exerting effects that extend well beyond the site
  of modification. Understanding this “molecular syntax” will pave the 
 way to next-generation biomaterials and therapeutics capable of mirroring 
 the sophisticated hierarchy and functionality observed in living systems.\
 n \n\nHosts: Brandon Barnett  | brandon.barnett@rochester.edu \n          
  Michael Ruggiero | michael.ruggiero@rochester.edu
GEO:43.125274;-77.630811
LOCATION:Hutchison Hall\, 140
SUMMARY:Chemistry Special Seminar: “Greasing the Protein Gears: Harnessin
 g Lipidation for  Next-Generation Biomaterials and Therapeutics” ” 
URL;VALUE=URI:https://events.rochester.edu/event/chemistry-special-seminar-
 greasing-the-protein-gears-harnessing-lipidation-for-next-generation-bioma
 terials-and-therapeutics
CATEGORIES:Lectures & Talks
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