Structure & Function of Microbial Proteins
Spread of Antibiotic Resistance
Bacteria gain antibiotic resistance commonly through conjugative plasmid transfer (CPT). What is the molecular basis of this process?
Gut Microbe Bacteriodes ovatus
The gut microbe Bacteroides ovatus is elevated in people with autoimmune diseases. Which of its proteins may play an important role in the disease state?
Uncharacterized Pathogen Proteomes
Emerging bacterial pathogens are of concern for new outbreaks. Characterizing their proteomes may allow us to understand and target them more effectively.
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McLaughlin Lab (2024-2025)
URSI 2024 Summer (above) & Symposium (below)
Lab Members
Olive Adamek
Salih Elnour Salih Awouda
Elisa Dzuong
Lydia Freedman
Jasmine Lowenstein
Lola Yost
Dr. Krystle J. McLaughlin
Note: The lab is full for the 2024-2025 academic year.
LAB HAPPENINGS
Highlights
news from the lab
Dr. McLaughlin Featured in Chemistry World Magazine Article
https://www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/chemists-amid-coronavirus-five-years-on-krystle-mclaughlin/4021061.article
Our BoPDA Paper chosen for ACS Journals Special Issue!
Honored to share that our article “Carbohydrate Deacetylase Unique to Gut Microbe Bacteroides Reveals Atypical Structure” was selected for an ACS Publications special issue celebrating Women and Girls in Science Day 2025! Still feeling proud and smiling at this email which informed us of the paper’s selection: “Congratulations! We looked through a large number of Read more about Our BoPDA Paper chosen for ACS Journals Special Issue![…]
Two papers on L. pnuemophila proteins accepted for publication (Apr 2025)!
Two papers from work done in Fall 2023 Protein Crystallography (Bioc/Chem 295) class have been published in the April 2025 issue of Acta Cryst F. LpPDF: https://journals.iucr.org/paper?S2053230X25001876 LpdUTPase: https://journals.iucr.org/paper?S2053230X25001815 Congrats to all the undergraduate co-authors Chi Nguyen ’26, Abigail Tramell ’26, Jordan Norman ’24, Sean Fisher ’25, William Fan ’25, and Krystal Matthews ’25! Special Read more about Two papers on L. pnuemophila proteins accepted for publication (Apr 2025)![…]
BoPDA Paper Accepted for Publication in Biochemistry (Jan 2025)!
Excited to announce that our paper on Bacteroides ovatus polysaccharide deacetylase (BoPDA) was accepted for publication in December 2024, and appears in the January 2025 issue of Biochemistry: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.biochem.4c00519! Congrats to all seven Vassar undergraduate co- authors: Lilith A. Schwartz ’22, Jordan O. Norman ’24, Sharika Hasan ’19, Olive E. Adamek ’27, Elisa Dzuong ’27, Read more about BoPDA Paper Accepted for Publication in Biochemistry (Jan 2025)![…]
Cryo-EM Training and Data Collection @NCCAT (Dec 2024)
Our proposal was awarded giving us funding for two students and Dr. McLaughlin to be trained in cryo-EM techniques at the National Center for Cryo-EM Access and Training (NCCAT) at the New York Structural Biology Center (NYSBC)! We had a 3-day visit, working one-on-one with cryo-EM scientist Dr. Eugene Chua, to gain skills for preparation Read more about Cryo-EM Training and Data Collection @NCCAT (Dec 2024)[…]
Dr. McLaughlin Attends IRACDA Conference as Invited Panelist
I was thrilled to be back in Chapel Hill for the annual IRACDA Conference in June 2024. I was invited to be part of the Alumni Panel, as a former SPIRE Postdoctoral Fellow. It was overall an excellent experience getting to hear talks about pedagogy and exciting research!
Dr. McLaughlin Gives Invited Talk at 2024 Bioorganic Gordon Research Conference
I had a great time at the Bioorganic Chemistry Gordon Research Conference this past June in Andover NH! It was my 1st time attending one and I was honored to give an invited talk. I spoke about our lab’s work on characterizing pCU1 TraK in the Infectious Diseases session. The science & scientists there were Read more about Dr. McLaughlin Gives Invited Talk at 2024 Bioorganic Gordon Research Conference[…]
MsFabG4 paper accepted for publication!
Our paper titled: “Structural and functional characterization of FabG4 from Mycolicibacterium smegmatis” was accepted for publication in April 2024 to Acta Crys F! Congrats to student co-first authors Xinping Ran ’22 and Prashit Parikh ’21. Our structure was highlighted on the cover (above) and we were interviewed as part of new initiative: “Interviews with Authors”. Read more about MsFabG4 paper accepted for publication![…]
McLaughlin Lab Attends ASBMB Meeting; Congrats to Jordan Norman ’24 For Her Poster Prize!
Our group attended the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) DiscoverBMB Meeting for the first time in San Antonio TX this past March. We were part of a big Vassar College contingent with fifteen students and four professors! I am so very proud of both my students, Maedot Abate and Jordan Norman, who Read more about McLaughlin Lab Attends ASBMB Meeting; Congrats to Jordan Norman ’24 For Her Poster Prize![…]
New paper on pSK41 Cop published in Plasmid
So excited to tell you about our latest paper published in Plasmid! The analysis of the crystal structure in this paper was completed by Faith Northern VC ’22, 4th in author list, as part of her Vassar College senior biochemistry research! Congrats! Link to paper: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1i8n2,3Mq7BJX Paper summary: We study conjugative plasmid transfer (CPT) as Read more about New paper on pSK41 Cop published in Plasmid[…]