JANE M. VANDERKOOI, Ph.D.

Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics

Location: 913A Stellar-Chance Building / 6059
Tel: (215) 898-8783
Fax: (215) 573-2042
Email: vanderko@mail.med.upenn.edu

Ph.D. St. Louis University (1971)

Vanderkooi BMB Graduate Group Page

DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Most organisms on earth literally exist in an ocean of water while other organisms can survive dehydrating conditions. But ultimately all earthly life requires at least some water. The splitting of water in photosynthesis is the chemical step that transforms the energy of light into reactive chemicals, whereas the recombination of H and O to reform H₂O in respiration in the end yields energy for animal life. Water is also essential in aiding digestion of food, elimination of toxic waste products, transport of metabolites and temperature control.

However, a basic reason for the requirement of water by terrestrial life occurs at the molecular level: proteins and other biological macromolecules need water to properly fold into functional, unique and stable structures.

Dr. Vanderkooi is interested in studying the interaction between water and proteins. It is clear that water changes the structure and dynamics of protein macromolecules, and the protein reciprocates by changing properties of water. Novel methods involving infrared and optical spectroscopy are used to determine kinetic and thermodynamic parameters for the study of the boundary region between water and protein. Present research projects are addressing how protein interfaces with water in anti-freeze proteins, the effect of cosolvents on water and proteins and how some proteins can withstand high pressure and temperature.

1. Zelent, B. and J. M. Vanderkooi (2007) Temperature dependence for fluorescence of β-NADH in glycerol/water solution and in trehalose/sucrose glass. J. Fluorescence 17:37-42.
2. Kaposi, A. D., J. M. Vanderkooi, S. S. Stavrov (2006) Infrared absorption study of the heme pocket dynamics of carbonmonoxyheme proteins. Biophys. J 91(11):4191-4200.
3. Zelent, B., J. M. Vanderkooi, R. G. Coleman, I. Gryczynski, K. Gryczynski (2006) Protonation of excited state pyrene-1-carboxylate by phosphate and organic acids in aqueous solution monitored by fluorescence and infrared spectroscopy. Biophys. J.  91:3864-3871.
4. Dashnau, J. L., N. V. Nucci, K. A. Sharp, J. M. Vanderkooi (2006) Hydrogen bonding and the cryoprotective properties of glycerol/water mixtures. J. Phys. Chem. 110:13670-13677.
5. Khajehpour, M., J. L. Dashnau, J. M. Vanderkooi (2006) Infrared spectroscopy used to evaluate glycosylation of proteins. Anal. Biochem. 348:40-48.
6. Dashnau, J. L., K. A. Sharp, J. M. Vanderkooi (2005) Stereochemical aspects of aldohexopyranose hydration as studied by water-water hydrogen bond angle analysis. J. Phys. Chem. 109:24152-24159.
7. Ponkratov, V.V., J. Friedrich, J. M. Vanderkooi , A. L. Burin, Y.A. Berlin (2005) Physics of proteins at low temperature. J. Low Temperature Physics 137:289-318.
8. Zelent, B., T. Yano, P.-I. Ohlsson,  M. L. Smith, J. Paul, J. M. Vanderkooi (2005) Optical spectra of lactoperoxidase as a function of solvent. Biochemistry 44:15953-15959.
9. Nucci, N. V. and J. M. Vanderkooi (2005) Temperature dependence of hydrogen bonding and freezing behavior of water in reverse micelles. J. Phys. Chem. 109: 18301-18309.
10. Dashnau, J. L., B. Zelent, J. M. Vanderkooi (2005) Tryptophan interactions with glycerol/water and trehalose/sucrose cryosolvents: Infrared and fluorescence spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. (2005)  Biophys. Chem. 114:71-83.

For a complete listing of Dr. Vanderkooi's publications, click here