My group is interested in elucidating enzyme-catalyzed transformations and their application involved in natural products biosynthesis. Special approaches include organic synthesis, biochemical assays and molecular biology. Our long term goal is to apply chemo-enzymatic approach in producing important molecules for therapeutic potential, and in expanding the repertoire of enzyme catalysis.
News:
09.2022
Congratulations to Jill, Lide and Nick on their recent publication on Nature Communication!
“Elucidation of divergent desaturation pathways in the formation of vinyl isonitrile and isocyanoacrylate” Nat. Commnn. 2022, 13:5343.
08.2022
Lindsay has been accepted to the Provost’s Professional Experience Program, congratulations!
07.2022
Jill receives the 2022 Jeremy Knowles Award at Enzymes, Coenzymes, and Metabolic Pathways Gordon Research Seminar.
06.2022
Congratulations to Xiaojun on his recent publication on JACS!
“Mechanism of Methyldehydrofosmidomycin Maturation: Use Olefination to Enable Chain Elongation.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022. 144:8257-8266.
02.2022
Congratulations to Tzu-Yu and Lide on their recent publication!
“Deciphering the Reaction Pathway of Mononuclear Iron Enzyme-Catalyzed N≡C Triple Bond Formation in Isocyanide Lipopeptide and Polyketide Biosynthesis.” ACS Catal. 2022. 12: 2270–2279.
Congratulations to Xiaojun on his new publication!
“Identification of Cyclopropane Formation in the Biosyntheses of Hormaomycins and Belactosins: Sequential Nitration and Cyclopropanation by Metalloenzymes.” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022. 61:e202113189
Congratulations to Haoyu on his recent publications!
“Mechanistic analysis of carbon-carbon bond formation by deoxypodophyllotoxin synthase.” PNAS. 2022. 119:e2113770119.
“BesC Initiates C-C Cleavage through a Substrate-Triggered and Reactive Diferric-Peroxo Intermediate.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021. 143:21416-21424.
01.2022
Congratulations to Tzu-Yu on receiving the Glaxo Fellowship!
07.2021
Congratulations to Tzu-Yu on her recent commentary on PNAS!
“A postreplicative C5-cytosine hypermodification triggered by bacteriophage methyltransferase and hydroxylase.” PNAS. 2021. 118: e2109992118
06.2021
Congratulations to Haoyu on his recent publications on ACS Catalysis!
“Harnessing the Substrate Promiscuity of Dioxygenase AsqJ and Developing Efficient Chemoenzymatic Synthesis for Quinolones.” ACS Catalysis. 2021. 11: 7186–7192 (Editor’s choice; Front cover)
ACS Catalysis. 2021. 11: 7186–7192
01.2021
Congratulations to Lide and Tzu-Yu on their recent publications on Trends in Chemistry and ACS Catalysis!
“An Effective Strategy to Introduce Carbon Isotopes by Simple Swaps of CO2.” Trends in Chemistry. 2020. 2: 1040-1042
“Deciphering Pyrrolidine and Olefin Formation Mechanism in Kainic Acid Biosynthesis.” ACS Catalysis. 2021. 11: 278-282 (Front cover)
ACS Catal. 2021. 11 (1), 278–282
01.2021
Tzu-Yu receives 2021 Burroughs Wellcome Fellowships, Congratulations!
08.2020
Virtual greetings for ACS Academic Young Investigator’s Symposium!
Congratulations to Dr. Chang on his scientific achievement and being selected as 2020 Academic Young Investigator!
2020 ACS Academic Young Investigator’s Symposium
2020 ACS Academic Young Investigator’s Symposium
06.2020
Recent publication is featured in the front cover of Biochemistry!
Biochemistry. 59(21), 1961-1965
05.2020
Congratulations to Lide and Madison on their recent publication on Biochemistry!
Biochemistry 2020. doi:10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00289
05.2020
Congratulations DR. Madison Davidson!
04.2020
Recent publication is featured in the front cover of JACS!
JACS. 142 (13), 6268-6284
03.26.2020
Congratulations! Dr. Madison Davidson successfully defended Ph.D. dissertation!
03.2020
Congratulations to Tzu-Yu (Jill) on her recent publication on Angew. Chem.
“Pathway from N-alkylglycine to alkylisonitrile catalyzed by iron(II) and 2-oxoglutarate dependent oxygenases.” Angew. Chem. 2020. doi: 10.1002/anie.201914896.
Congratulations to Lide and Scott on their JACS paper!
“Epoxidation Catalyzed by the Non-heme Iron- and 2Oxoglutarate-Dependent Oxygenase, AsqJ: Mechanistic Elucidation of Oxygen Atom Transfer by a Ferryl Intermediate.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020. doi: 10.1021/jacs.0c00484.
07.2019
Lide receives 2019 Burroughs Wellcome Fellowships, Congratulations!
Congratulations to Madison for outstanding research accomplishments that led to 2019 Glaxo Fellowship!!
06.23.2019
Congratulations to Meredith McNamee! Wish her all the best in pursuing her Ph.D. in UNC-Chapel Hill!
06.23.2019
“Unraveling flavoenzyme reaction mechanisms using flavin analogues and linear free energy relationships.” Methods Enzymol., 2019, 620,167-188.
“A New Microbial Pathway for Organophosphonate Degradation Catalyzed by Two Previously Misannotated Non-Heme-Iron Oxygenases.” Biochemistry, 2019, 58, 1627-1647.
02.16.2019
Congratulations to Madison and Meredith on their JACS communication!
“Repurposing non-heme iron hydroxylases to enable catalytic nitrile installation through an azido group assistance.” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2019, 141, 3419-3423.
12.30.2018
“Reaction Mechanism of a Nonheme Iron Enzyme Catalyzed Oxidative Cyclization via C−C Bond Formation.” Org. Lett. 2019, 21, 228-232.
11.10.2018 Congratulations to Cheng-Ping and Lide!
“Elucidating the Reaction Pathway of Decarboxylation-Assisted Olefination Catalyzed by a Mononuclear Non-Heme Iron Enzyme.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 15190-15193.
“Mechanistic elucidation of Two Catalytically Versatile Iron(II)- and α-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Enzymes: Cases Beyond Hydroxylation.” Comments Inorg. Chem. 2018, 38, 127-165.
07.16.2018 Recent publications:
“Substrate Conformation Correlates with the Outcome of Hyoscyamine 6β-Hydroxylase Catalyzed Oxidation Reactions.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 7433-7436.
“Two Distinct Mechanisms for C–C Desaturation by Iron(II)- and 2-(Oxo)glutarate-Dependent Oxygenases: Importance of α-Heteroatom Assistance.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 7116-7126
“Structural Basis for Superoxide Activation of Flavobacterium johnsoniae Class I Ribonucleotide Reductase and for Radical Initiation by its Dimanganese Cofactor.” Biochemistry, 2018, 57, 2679-2693.
“Installation of the Ether Bridge of Lolines by the Iron- and 2-Oxoglutarate-Dependent Oxygenase, LolO: Regio- and Stereochemistry of Sequential Hydroxylation and Oxacyclization Reactions.” Biochemistry, 2018, 57, 2074-2083.
03.19.2018 Congratulations to Scott, Cheng-Ping, Dev and Xinglin! Their paper ” Mechanistic Investigation of Oxidative Decarboxylation Catalyzed by Two Iron(II)- and 2‑Oxoglutarate-Dependent Enzymes” is accepted by Biochemistry.
01.28.2018. Congratulations to Scott and Madison! Their paper entitled “Insights into the Desaturation of Cyclopeptin and its C3 Epimer Catalyzed by a non-Heme Iron Enzyme: Structural Characterization and Mechanism Elucidation” is accepted by Angewandte Chemie.
03.03.2017. Congratulations to Dev on receiving “Outstanding junior graduate research poster in the area of Organic Chemistry award“.
02.17.2017. Congratulations to Dev and Scott! New paper is accepted by Organic Letters.
08.10.2016. Oxirane formation mechanism using AsqJ published on JACS!
08.08.2016. Welcome Dr. Scott Huang on board.