If you didn’t get a chance to tune into this weeks interview, be sure to download this pod cast!
It was my pleasure to interview Dr. Lara Mahal.
Education.
Dr. Moran received her B.A. in Chemistry with highest Honors June 1995.From University odf California Santa Cruz. And her Ph.D. in organic chemistry December 2000 from University of California, Berkeley.
Research Initiatives.
Dr Mahal`s research is directed around three major statutes:
1. Creation of tools for the study of beta-O-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine function, a cytosolic carbohydrate modification analogous to phosphorylation.
2. Invention of novel tools and methods for the profiling of cell-surface carbohydrate compositions.
3. Application of bioinformatic and systems-based approaches to understanding the role of carbohydrates in metastasis and bacterial pathogenesis.
To best describe the need for these three levels of research I have attached this excerpt from her website. Carbohydrates are critical in a myriad of important biological processes including intra-cellular communication, inflammation and bacterial and viral infections. Despite mounting evidence for the impact of glycosylation in modern biology, in vivo functional studies of these posttranslational modifications are not readily carried out. This is in part due to a lack of the appropriate tools. Our laboratory merges chemistry and biology to create new methods for the study of glycosylation. These include the creation and utilization of new probes for glycosylation, cellular sensors and array technologies.
Be sure to listen to the interview of Dr. Mahal her work in the field of glycobiology is nothing short of spectacular. Within the interview we spoke about the importance of lectins and how they can be used within micro arrays to develop distinct patterns allowing for high throughput analysis of carbohydrates on glycoproteins, bacteria, and mammalian cells. Dr. Mahal`s lab is not only using these miccroarrays, they are developing them as well.
We went on to cover some of the newest and most exciting discoveries within the Dr.s research. And that is the discovery and correlating research on the HIV -1 virus and its innate ability to deceive our immune system. This fact has been known and studied with multiple hypothesis coming forth. Dr. Mahal`s research has found through microarray technology that the glycan coat of human t-cell line derived HIV-1 matches that of the immunomodulatory micro vesicles. This further supports why it is so hard for researchers to pinpoint the glycans for therapeutics. And opens more doors as to why creating a protective antiviral immune response to HIV-1 is so difficult. I really suggest you listen to this interview. Dr. Mahal kept me on the edge of my seat with the information she shared. Her research is not only cutting edge, but incredibly relevant.
I know you will find it just as interesting as I did!
Here are a few links of interest or Dr. Mahal
http://neon.cm.utexas.edu/directory/lara_mahal/
http://research.cm.utexas.edu/lmahal/Mahal-C.V.pdf
http://research.cm.utexas.edu/lmahal/
http://www.nature.com/nchembio/journal/v5/n4/abs/nchembio.151.html
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6332144_Deciphering_the_glycocode_the_complexity_and_analytical_challenge_of_glycomics
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja065835%2B
http://www.rsc.org/publishing/journals/MB/article.asp?doi=b800725j
Dr. Mahal`s blog!
http://www.blogger.com/profile/05935097482523389037
