EOHSI

Research Areas

Our laboratory is multi-disciplinary, with projects that range from organic to biological to analytical. Recent projects include: (i) exploring how damaged DNA differs from normal DNA. Mutated bases are linked to carcinogenesis and cell death and it is therefore important to understand how these damaged bases differ from normal bases. In particular, we are interested in how the damaged bases are identified and excised by enzymes; (ii) identification of small RNAs in cell lysates (collaborative project); (iii) studying the properties of silanols, particularly acidity, to characterize their potential as catalysts (collaborative project); (iv) examining the properties and reactivities of N-heterocyclic carbenes, which are a “hot” topic nowadays due to their versatility (as organometallic ligands, organocatalysts, components in environmentally friendly solvents). Our methods include traditional organic tools (including synthesis) as well as spectroscopy (mass spectrometry, UV absorbance, NMR), and computational chemistry.

Recent Publications

1. Zhang, L, Ding, X, Kratka, CR, Levine, A, Lee, JK. Gas Phase Experimental and Computational Studies of AlkB Substrates: Intrinsic Properties and Biological Implications. J Org Chem. 2023;88 (18):13115-13124. doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.3c01335. PubMed PMID:37651719
2. Zhang, L, Kiruba, GSM, Lee, JK. Gas-Phase Studies of Hypoxanthine-Guanine-(Xanthine) Phosphoribosyltransferase (HG(X)PRT) Substrates. J Org Chem. 2023;88 (11):6816-6826. doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.3c00115. PubMed PMID:37220241
3. Lotsof, ER, Krajewski, AE, Anderson-Steele, B, Rogers, J, Zhang, L, Yeo, J, Conlon, SG, Manlove, AH, Lee, JK, David, SS et al.. NEIL1 Recoding due to RNA Editing Impacts Lesion-Specific Recognition and Excision. J Am Chem Soc. 2022;144 (32):14578-14589. doi: 10.1021/jacs.2c03625. PubMed PMID:35917336 PubMed Central PMC10231864
4. Hinz, DJ, Zhang, L, Lee, JK. Mass spectrometry in organic and bio-organic catalysis: Using thermochemical properties to lend insight into mechanism. Mass Spectrom Rev. 2023;42 (5):1965-1983. doi: 10.1002/mas.21797. PubMed PMID:35899315
5. Krajewski, AE, Lee, JK. Nucleophilicity and Electrophilicity in the Gas Phase: Silane Hydricity. J Org Chem. 2022;87 (3):1840-1849. doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.1c02763. PubMed PMID:35044778
6. Krajewski, AE, Lee, JK. Gas-Phase Experimental and Computational Studies of 5-Halouracils: Intrinsic Properties and Biological Implications. J Org Chem. 2021;86 (9):6361-6370. doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.1c00183. PubMed PMID:33891415
7. Majumdar, C, McKibbin, PL, Krajewski, AE, Manlove, AH, Lee, JK, David, SS. Unique Hydrogen Bonding of Adenine with the Oxidatively Damaged Base 8-Oxoguanine Enables Specific Recognition and Repair by DNA Glycosylase MutY. J Am Chem Soc. 2020;142 (48):20340-20350. doi: 10.1021/jacs.0c06767. PubMed PMID:33202125 PubMed Central PMC9187209
8. Xu, J, Krajewski, AE, Niu, Y, Kiruba, GSM, Lee, JK. Kinetic hydricity of silane hydrides in the gas phase. Chem Sci. 2019;10 (34):8002-8008. doi: 10.1039/c9sc02118c. PubMed PMID:31853355 PubMed Central PMC6837013
9. Wang, N, Lee, JK. Gas-Phase and Ionic Liquid Experimental and Computational Studies of Imidazole Acidity and Carbon Dioxide Capture. J Org Chem. 2019;84 (22):14593-14601. doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.9b02193. PubMed PMID:31647232
10. Xu, J, Mieres-Perez, J, Sanchez-Garcia, E, Lee, JK. Gas-Phase Deprotonation of Benzhydryl Cations: Carbene Basicity, Multiplicity, and Rearrangements. J Org Chem. 2019;84 (12):7685-7693. doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.9b00496. PubMed PMID:31008604