Dr. Lynette Cegelski
Dr. Lynette Cegelski
Lynette
Cegelski is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry
at
Stanford University. She received her PhD in Chemistry from Washington
University, St. Louis, where she trained as a solid-state NMR
spectroscopist
at the interface of chemistry and biology. She switched
disciplines
and trained as a postdoctoral fellow in Molecular Microbiology and
Pathogenesis
at Washington University School of Medicine where she defined the
importance
of bacterial amyloid fibers in biofilm formation and identified
inhibitors
of amyloid and biofilm assembly.
Dr. Cegelski is the recipient of a
Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award at the Scientific Interface and
she
has been an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at
Stanford
since 2009. She is blending her expertise in biophysics,
microbiology,
and chemical biology to make discoveries regarding the fundamental
chemistry
of biological systems that will impact health and the environment and
drive
the development of new therapeutics to ameliorate disease.
Macromolecular NMR for Drug Discovery:
From Curcumin to Taxol
The genomics and proteomics
revolutions
have been enormously successful in generating full genome sequences for
an increasing number of organisms and in predicting and determining the
structures of a steadily increasing number of proteins. In
essence,
these data provide crucial “parts lists” for biological systems.
Yet, formidable challenges exist in
generating complete descriptions of how the parts function and assemble
into macromolecular complexes and how small-molecule inhibitors
influence
and inhibit assembly processes. My research program integrates
chemistry
and biophysics with chemical biology to investigate assembly processes
in molecular and atomic-level detail to drive the discovery of new
therapeutics.
I will highlight the novel strategies we are developing using examples
of taxol (determining the bio-active conformation of an anti-cancer
drug),
vancomycin analogues (mapping binding of antibiotics in intact cells),
and bacterial amyloid inhibitors (developing novel anti-amyloid and
anti-biofilm
agents).
Where:
Elan Pharmaceuticals (click
here for a map)
180
Oyster
Point
Boulevard
South
San
Francisco,
CA
94080
650-877-0900
Note: The link above will show you a MapQuest map of
the area. The building in which the meeting will be held is on the
southwest corner of Oyster Point Boulevard and Veterans Boulevard. The
MapQuest driving directions
for 180 Oyster Point Boulevard end by saying that the destination is on
the right, but the red star is not quite in the right place.
Once you're headed eastward on Oyster Point
Boulevard, cross Gateway Boulevard and continue a short distance to
Veterans Boulevard (traffic light). Turn right and proceed up the ramp
between the buildings to the top of the ramp and turn right to park
(not in the parking garage). The entrance to the building is on the
south side.
A driving tip from our Chair Elect: late afternoon
northbound commute traffic on 101N will probably be terrible. From the
south, she recommends taking 280N to 380E; the latter will take you to
101 close to South San Francisco. Then go north on 101 to Oyster Point
Boulevard.
When:
Thursday,
September 23, 2010 (the fourth Thursday of the month)
| 6:30 p.m. | Networking |
| 7:00 p.m. | Dinner |
| 8:00 p.m. | Lecture |
| Menu:
|
Buffet dinner, including Penne Pasta, Roasted Chicken, Roasted Vegetables, Cookies, Sodas, water, coffee |
Cost: $27.00/person (cash or check only, since we cannot process credit cards.)
Reservations are needed by Friday, September 17; we need to tell the caterer exactly how many people are coming.