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COURSE PERSONNEL

Parastoo Azadi - Technical Director of Center for Plant and Microbial Carbohydrates
Dr. Azadi uses mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS, FAB-MS and ES-MS) for the structural characterization of carbohydrates. Her work involves using chemical methods in combination with mass spectrometry to elucidate the structures of carbohydrates.

Ron Orlando - Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Dr. Orlando uses mass spectrometry (MS) to answer biological questions. His research also is concerned with developing new methodologies to increase the amount of information obtained from MS experiments and to reduce the quantity of material needed for analysis. The procedures developed by Dr. Orlando and his group can currently elucidate the complete primary structures of the carbohydrate side chains of glycoproteins (including the stereochemistry, linkage, and anomeric configuration of each monosaccharide) from only low picomole quantities of sample.

Lance Wells - Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Adjunct Assistant Professor of Chemistry; Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar
Dr. Wells’ broad research interest is in understanding how post-translational modifications modulate the properties of proteins. Specifically, we study "nutrient sensing" by characterizing the enzymes O-GlcNAc transferase, O-GlcNAcase, mTOR (mammalian target of Rapamycin, a ser-thr kinase), and AMP-activated protein kinase in mammalian cell culture and animal tissues. These enzymes have been implicated in responding to nutrients and regulating signal transduction cascades. Our research is aimed at building on a model in which cells are not blindly responding to extracellular stimuli but instead are taking into account their own nutritional states and then responding appropriately.