News & Events

When

Date - October 25, 2019
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

What

Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry
Wake Forest University
Talk Title: “Can we reprogram radical SAM enzymes?”

Abstract:

Radical SAM enzymes split S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) to create an adenosyl radical. This radical then abstracts an H atom from the substrate molecule, initiating exotic chemical transformations. We study two radical SAM enzymes that operate on the same substrate molecule yet yield very different products. Our lab works to determine atomic level details of these mechanisms. By attempting to interconvert the activities of these two enzymes, we hope to define the roles played by active site amino acids.