November 11, 2019. 3:30-4:30/AND 329
Bio
Dr. Dattelbaum received his undergraduate degree with honors in chemistry from James Madison University. He earned a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Maryland followed by NIH postdoctoral fellowships in microbial pathogenesis and protein engineering at the University of Maryland and at Duke University. He has traveled around the world with his wife, Kristine (an ecologist), including research on Helicobacter pylori with Barry Marshall at the University of Western Australia in Perth. He has spent the past 15 years of his career working in the Chemistry Department at University of Richmond, serving for many years as the Coordinator of the Biochemistry and Molecularly Biology Interdisciplinary Program.
Abstract
The research in my lab covers two diverse topics. One of the main focuses of my group has been the characterization of periplasmic binding proteins from thermophilic microbes to design fluorescent protein biosensors. We test methods to quantitate specific analytes using fluorescence technology. In order to create functional biosensors, we also investigate ways to encapsulate the biosensing proteins into polymeric media for use in biochemical applications. A second focus of my group involves studying the chemical ecology of a common Chesapeake Bay sponge, Clathria prolifera. We are interested in identifying pigmented compounds and determining the functional significance of these compounds to the sponge. Additionally, we are beginning the characterization of culturable and pigmented sponge-associated microbes from the sponge larvae with the goal of identifying the biosynthetic routes for the isolated secondary metabolites.