The Ohio State University

Graduate Research Associate

Penn State University

Implemented and performed enrichment analysis using permutation test between lasso-like entanglements and common functional sites such as active site, ligand-binding, protein-protein interfaces, nucleic acid binding, metal-binding, and zinc fingers. A lasso-like entanglement is a special class of topological motifs that turns a piece of the backbone chain into a loop closed either by a covalent or non-covalent bond, which is pierced by a part of the remaining chain. Our focus was on non-covalent lasso-entanglement. The findings were carried out in three organisms: Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Homo sapiens. This data-science project required a comprehensive database with functional sites from UniProt Knowledgebase/Protein Data Bank and a complex algorithm for detecting lasso-like entanglements. Biologically, this is relevant since lasso-like entanglements engage in all aspects of protein mechanisms starting from translation to folding, misfolding, aggregation, and eventually, degradation.

Computational Research Scientist

University of Pittsburgh

Worked to find a closed-form symbolic solution applied towards kinetic models that satisfied the steady-state condition and principle of detailed balance. Biologically, this is relevant since a steady-state solution to a chemical master equation can lead to the underlying kinetics of biological systems such as membrane transport, protein folding, and other significant proteins.

Undergraduate Student Researcher

Acknowledgement in Bisignano P, Lee MA, George A, Zuckerman DM, Grabe M, Rosenberg JM
(2020) A kinetic mechanism for enhanced selectivity of membrane transport. PLOS Computational
Biology 16(7): e1007789. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007789

I worked with Dr. Rosenberg, a faculty member at University of Pittsburgh, to determine the reason why a protein transporter called vSGLT fails to transport glucose to the extracellular side. In some situations, glucose does not exit from vSGLT to the cytoplasmic side. We tested a 10-state kinetic model to further explore this phenomenon with a proofreading mechanism and a cost selectivity equation. The hypothesis was that vSGLT might have harnessed an evolved mechanism called a slip mechanism, which might be the cause of the increased substrate selectivity and reduction of toxic molecules. Biologically, this is relevant for drug discovery since improving the selectivity of vSGLT allow for selective ligands to be screened that could target a disease such as diabetes mellitus.

I was an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UTA) for Biological Physical Chemistry or Biophysical Chemistry. This was a spring-semester activity. I already completed two semesters as of spring 2019. This course consisted of seniors who were biochemistry majors and the course heavily focused on the application of biochemistry through the use of physics and chemistry

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant

University of Pittsburgh School of Computing and Information

Responsibilities included:	

Solved technical issues 
Reset students’ passwords
Answered technical questions over the phone or in-person   
Ensured computers and printers are functioning properly
Assigned to fix Pitt Print Stations
Accepted deliveries in the Computer Labs
 
This was a customer - oriented job that focused on helping customers with technical issues and help them navigate the technologies in the computer lab

Lab Monitor

I love Protein Science research. I consider each protein a mystery waiting for researchers to reveal its properties to the world. 

I believe in generating new knowledge (Fundamental Research) and applying it to useful cases (Applied Research). All knowledge is useful, and our job, as researchers, is to find its use case. 

My research interests primarily occur in the interplay between Computational Biology and Biophysics - specifically Computational Structural Biology. 

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