Chemistry Seminar Presented by Prof. Doug Mitchell "Genomics-Enabled Discovery of New Molecules & Enzymes"

The Department of Chemistry is excited to host Prof. Doug Mitchell (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) on Tuesday, November 19, 2024 for a departmental seminar.

Genomics-Enabled Discovery of New Molecules & Enzymes
Abstract: Advances in genome sequencing and bioinformatics have catalyzed a resurgence of interest in natural products. Our principal focus has been on the ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), which, despite being comprised of 50 known structural classes, share a simplified biosynthetic logic and require a minimal genomic footprint. This talk will describe the challenges we encountered and insights we gained from large-scale RiPP genome mining. New synthetic biology approaches to accessing new molecules and discovering new enzyme chemistry will be discussed, as well as ongoing work to define the boundaries of nature's biosynthetic capabilities.

To learn more about Prof. Mitchell's research, please visit: https://mitchell-lab.chemistry.illinois.edu/index.html

Seminar Host: Prof. Emily Derbyshire