November 2009 Meeting
The three hundred and eighty sixth meeting of the American Chemical Society Susquehanna Valley Section will be held on Wednesday, 11 November 2009 in Room G09 of the Heim Building on the Lycoming College campus. The meeting will begin at 7:30 PM and will be preceded by dinner at 5:45 p.m. at the Bullfrog Brewery at 231 West Fourth Street, Williamsport, PA. The speaker will be Dr. Todd Morris of Lycoming College and he will present a talk entitled "Lectin-Based Glycoanalysis".Dinner: 5:45 p.m. at the Bullfrog Brewery (231 West 4th Street, Williamsport). Please call or email reservations to Debbie Smith (570-321-4180 or smithdeb@lycoming.edu) by 6 November 2009.
Directions: see below
Lectin-Based Glycoanalysis
Glycosylation, the addition of oligosaccharides to the amino acid backbone of a protein, is an important and common post-translational modification of protein therapeutic drugs. This process is regulated by a series of enzymes and may result in significant micro-heterogeneity in the final product. The efficacy and safety of the therapeutic is affected by the structure and composition of the protein≠s glycans. Rapid, real-time glycoanalysis of glycosylated protein therapeutics remains elusive. To address this need, my research has been focused on two lectin-based glycoanalytical methods: lectin-arrays and lectin-induced flocculation of nanoparticles. Lectins are sugar-binding proteins that are specific for certain oligosaccharide structures and compositions. In the development of lectin arrays, a lectin must be able to adsorb to the solid substrate in its biologically-active, native state. Polydopamine can adsorb to a wide variety of substrates and promote the adhesion of biological molecules. In one study, we have demonstrated that polydopamine is able to anchor the mannose-specific lectin concanavalin A (Con A) to gold, silicon, indium, and aluminum surfaces. The activity of the polydopamine-immobilized lectin was demonstrated with the mannose-presenting glycoprotein ribonuclease B (RNase B). In another study, we developed a simple glycoanalysis method based on the lectin-induced flocculation of glycoprotein-modified gold nanoparticles. Bare gold nanoparticles were modified with RNase B. In the presence of Con A, the RNase B-modified nanoparticles flocculate and eventually sediment. To demonstrate specificity, non mannose-specific lectins were also introduced to the RNase B-modified nanoparticles and were observed to have no effect on the stability or optical properties of the nanoparticles.
Todd Morris is a visiting assistant professor of chemistry for the 2009-10 academic year. He most recently worked at the National Institute of Science and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md., where he has been conducting postdoctoral research using molecules called "lectins" to correctly attach sugars to proteins in the process of manufacturing biopharmaceutical drugs. Morris earned a bachelor≠s degree in chemistry at the University of Tennessee at Martin, and a doctoral degree in analytical chemistry at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. Immediately following completion of his Ph.D., he taught briefly as a full time faculty member at Adams State College in Colorado.
Directions:
DIRECTIONS TO THE BULLFROG BREWERY RESTAURANT: From I-80, take U. S. Route 15 north. Travel approximately 15 miles to Williamsport. Continue over the Market Street Bridge (stay in left lane) and follow the signs for the Business District. At the third traffic signal, turn left onto 4th Street. Follow 4th Street west to the third traffic signal, which is Hepburn Street (there will be a movie theater on the right at the corner). Parking is available along Hepburn Street (on the street and in a public parking lot). The Bullfrog Brewery is directly next to City Hall on 4th Street, one block east of Hepburn Street.
From I-180/US-220, exit onto Market Street (Exit 27A). Turn left from the exit ramp at the traffic signal and follow Market Street north into the city. At the second traffic signal, turn left onto 4th Street. Follow 4th Street west to the third traffic signal, which is Hepburn Street (there will be a movie theater on the right at the corner). Parking is available along Hepburn Street (on the street and in a public parking lot). The Bullfrog Brewery is directly next to City Hall on 4th Street, one block east of Hepburn Street.
DIRECTIONS FROM THE BULLFROG BREWERY RESTAURANT TO LYCOMING COLLEGE: Follow Hepburn Street north to the traffic signal at Little League Boulevard (0.2 mi). Turn right onto Little League Boulevard and follow it until it ends at Mulberry Street (0.3 mi). Turn left at the stop sign onto Mulberry Street. At the next traffic signal, turn right onto Washington Boulevard. The entrance to the Heim Building parking lot will be the first right (Park in the row closest to the building).
Lycoming College directions and map.
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