CURRICULUM VITAE

 

Jill D. Dombrauckas

 

The University of Illinois at Chicago

The Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and

The Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy

900 South Ashland Avenue (M/C 870)

Chicago, IL 60607

Lab Phone:  (312) 996-1687

Fax:  (312) 413-9303

Email:  jdombr5@uic.edu

 

EDUCATION

 

Ph.D. Candidate   Current      University of Illinois, Chicago

B.S.  Chemistry   May, 2001  University of Dayton, Dayton Ohio Magna Cum Laude

 

HOMETOWN     

Miamisburg, OH   Suburb of Dayton, OH.

 

GRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECT

 

Research focuses on the application of x-ray crystallography and computational docking for discovering and developing small molecule compounds that inhibit and activate proteins at allosteric sites.  My research entails the cloning, overexpression, purification, and kinetic characterization of a cancer drug target, human pyruvate kinase M2.  Furthermore, I have determined the x-ray crystal structure of this enzyme, and I am investigating potential inhibitors as anti-cancer drug leads using in vitro, in vivo (yeast), and in silico methods.

 

EXPERIENCE

 

*     University of Illinois at Chicago, Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology.  Graduate Research Assistant under Dr. Andrew Mesecar. (2001 to Present)

*     University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Medicinal Chemistry.  Teaching Assistant for Pharmacy courses.  Four semesters. (2001-2003)

*     University of Dayton.  Responsible for teaching general chemistry laboratory course (Fall 2000)

*     University of Dayton.  Medicinal Chemistry Lab (1999-2000).

*     Undergraduate thesis: Synthesis of a potential anti-cancer compound.

*     Exciton, Inc. Dayton, OH.  Research Technician (Summer 1999).

*     Synthesis of organic laser dyes for medical research and industrial applications.

 

AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

 

*     Full scholarship from Cold Spring Harbor to attend their course in macromolecular crystallography. (2004)

*     Bauer Ludwig Fellowship for Outstanding Graduate Students in Medicinal Chemistry.  UIC College of Pharmacy.  Received this annual award two consecutive years (2002,2003)

*     Travel award from American Crystallographic Association to attend annual meeting July 2003

*     UIC Student Travel Award for presentation at the American Crystallographic Association annual meeting July 2003

 

MEMBERSHIPS AND PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

 

*     American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (UIC- AAPS Student Chapter)

*     Chair of Program Committee, contacts/visits to Industry

*     American Crystallographic Association (ACA)

*     Student Chair of Student Recruiting Committee UIC College of Pharmacy

 

ABSTRACTS AND POSTER PRESENTATIONS

 

  1. Jill Dombrauckas, Bernard D. Santarsiero, Andrew D. Mesecar. (2004) “Structural Analysis of the Tumor-Specific Pyruvate Kinase for Structure-based Drug Design.” Midwest Enzyme Chemistry Conference. University of  Chicago, Chicago, IL.  October 9, 2004.

 

  1. Jill Dombrauckas, Bernard D. Santarsiero, Andrew D. Mesecar. (2004) “Structure Determination of Tumor-Specific Pyruvate Kinase M2.”  Minnesota, Illinois, Kansas, and Iowa (MIKI) Annual Meeting (Medicinal Chemistry).  Iowa City, Iowa.  April 17, 2004.

 

  1. Jill Dombrauckas, Bernard D. Santarsiero, Andrew D. Mesecar. (2003) “Preliminary Structure Determination of Tumor-Specific Pyruvate Kinase.”  Midwest Enzyme Chemistry Conference. University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL.  October 4, 2003.

 

  1. Jill Dombrauckas, Dagny L. Ulrich, Bernard Santarsiero, Pat Loria, Andrew D. Mesecar. (2003) “DeNovo X-ray Structure Determination of the Bacterial Quorum-Sensing Phosphorelay Protein LuxU.” American Crystallographic Association Annual Meeting. Cincinatti, OH. July 24-31, 2003.

 

  1. Jill Dombrauckas and Andrew D. Mesecar. (2003) “Over-expression, Purification, and Kinetic Characterization of the Tumor-Specific Isozyme of Pyruvate Kinase M2.”  Minnesota, Illinois, Kansas, and Iowa (MIKI) Annual Meeting (Medicinal Chemistry).  Lawrence, KS.  April 2003.

 

  1. Dagny L. Ulrich, Jill Dombrauckas, Andrew D. Mesecar, John Cavanagh, and Patrick Loria. (2002) “Structural and Dynamical Characterization of the bacterial quorum-sensing protein LuxU.”  American Chemical Society Annual meeting. December. 

 

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

 

  1. Literature Seminar.  “The Use of X-ray Crystallography in Drug Design.”  University of Illinois at Chicago.  Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy.  February 5, 2003.
  2. Seminar for Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology.  “Structure Determination and Allosteric Activation of Tumor-Specific Pyruvate Kinase M2.”  University of Illinois at Chicago.  September 29, 2004.

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

  1. Jill Dombrauckas, Bernard D. Santarsiero, and Andrew D. Mesecar. (2005) “The Structure of  Human Tumor Pyruvate Kinase M2”  Biochemistry (accepted, under revision).

 

CONFERENCES ATTENDED

 

*     ACA Annual Meeting – Local Committee member            July 2004

*     Organize Mentor/Mentee Dinner

*     Facilitate Sessions

*     ACA Annual Meeting                                                    July/August  2003

*     Midwest Enzyme Chemistry Conference XXIII                October  2003

*     Facilitate/Organize Poster Session

*     Annual MIKI meeting (Medicinal Chemistry)                   April 2002, 2003, & 2004

*     Midwest Enzyme Chemistry Conference XXII/XXIV         Sept. 2002 & Oct. 2004

 

PROFESSIONAL COURSES COMPLETED

 

2004 Cold Spring Harbor Course in Macromolecular Crystallography

 

X-RAY INSTRUMENTATION EXPERIENCE

 

APS Synchrotron:        Argonne National Labs

                                           Beamlines:          SER-CAT  monochromatic and MAD data collection

                                                                    BIO-CARS  monochromatic and MAD data collection

X-ray Equipment:         In house system.          Raxis IIc detector (Rigaku) on RU-200 rotation anode.

                                                                     Raxis IV++ detector (Rigaku) with inverted phi

        

LABORATORY SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES

        

*     Cloning and construction of expression vectors

*     Optimizing of expression conditions

*     Refolding of proteins from inclusion bodies

*     Protein Purification- column chromatography

*     Gel chromatography

*     SDS PAGE protein gels:  silver and coomassie blue staining

*     Agarose DNA gels

*     Native protein gels

*     Analytical Size Exclusion for MW determination

*     Crystallization

*     Random Factorial and Optimization of growth conditions

*     Heavy atom soaks

*     Cryo conditions & Screening

*     Capillary mounting

*     Seeding

*     Structure Determination techniques via X-ray Crystallography

*     Molecular Replacement

*     MAD Phasing

*     NCS

*     Other Techniques

*     Fluorescence

*     UV absorbance

*     Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC)

*     Circular Diochroism (CD) spectroscopy

 

COMPUTER KNOWLEDGE

      Familiar with:

*     Unix (including editors vi and jot)

*     X-ray Crystallography:  Denzo/Scalepack,  Solve/Resolve,      Phaser, CNS, CCP4, O, HKL2000, Crystal Clear, BnP, PHENIX

*     Insight II (structure visualization)

*     Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop

*     Sigma Plot – Enzyme Kinetics Module

*     Microsoft Office:  Word, Excel, Powerpoint