DAMODHARAN LAKSHMIANARASIMHAN

**, *** #* ***** ***** drive, Nashua, NH 03060

Cell: 631-***-**** • j55jla@r.postjobfree.com

Research Accomplishments

Determined important molecular assembly of Botulinum neurotoxin crucial to infection.

Achieved identification of lead molecule to rare disease (lysosomal storage disease).

Accomplished molecular ruler mechanism of human immune system protein (ERAP1).

Identified 12 protein structures and authored over 19 peer-reviewed publications.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Senior Postdoctoral Scientist,

Dr. Hwai-Chen Guo’s Structural Biology Lab

Feb. 2011 - July 2012

Department of Biological Sciences at University of Massachusetts at Lowell, MA

Protein expression and purification of recombinant of Glycosyl asparaginase and site directed mutagenesis.

Design and execution of molecular biology and assay methods.

Lead molecule identification to enhance enzyme activity of lysosomal storage disease protein.

Supervise a team of five for analytical and preparative-scale protein purification.

Senior Postdoctoral Scientist, Dr. Guo’s Structural Biology Lab

July 2010 – Feb. 2011

Center for Advanced Biomedical Research at Boston University at Boston, MA

Devised lysosomal storage disease (Aspartyl glucosamine urea) model system.

Established molecular ruler mechanism of immune system peptide trimming component.

Research Associate Scientist,

Dr. Swaminathan’s Lab Feb. 2005 – June 2010

Biology Department at Brookhaven National Lab, Upton, NY

Innovated strategies to optimize expression, solubilization and purification methods of Botulinum Neurotoxin Heavy Chain and bacterial porins.

Determined tetrameric arrangement of the Botulinum Neurotoxin.

Achieved structure function relationship of novel protein folds and medicinally important protein targets.

Executed multi-dimensional protein purification processes.

Determined a Kinetic parameter for Chitinase enzyme from Bacteriodes thetaiotaomicron.

Investigated novel DNA binding nature of phosphatase from Toxoplasma gondii through the fluorescence assay.

Post-Doctoral Research Scholar, Dr. Chattopadhyay’s Lab

Sept. 2004 – Jan. 2005

Department of Medicine at University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL

Performed extensive protein purification and characterization of falciparum coat proteins in E.Coli.

Played a key role in structure determination of proteins secreted from Plasmodium falciparum.

Senior Research Fellow,

Dr. Pattabhi’s Lab

Sept. 2001 – Sept. 2004

Department of Crystallography and Biophysics at Chennai, India

Identified molecular structures of medicinally important drugs / drug delivery systems.

Discovered superior Cyclooxygenase-2 selective modified meloxicam derivatives through molecular modeling studies.

Explored specificity pocket of proteolytic enzymes, revealed by crystal structures of trypsin.

Teaching Fellow at Bioinformatic Centre at Pondicherry University at Puducherry, India Jan. 2001-Dec. 2001

Presented series of lectures on basic and advanced theories and techniques of X-ray crystallography.

Education

Ph.D. in Crystallography and Biophysics

2004

University of Madras, Chennai, India

Master of Philosophy in Crystallography and Biophysics

1999

University of Madras, Chennai, India

Master of Science in Crystallography and Biophysics

1997

University of Madras, Chennai, India

Lab Skills

Cell culture, fermentation, protein isolation and purification, filtration, gel electrophoresis, western blot, AKTA-FPLC, protein crystallization and structure determination, Synchrotron protein data collection, HKL2000, CCP4, COOT, Pymol, SHELX, MAD/SAD

Publications

1. Damodharan, L., et. al.“Cloning, Expression and Purification of Botulinum Neurotoxin Type A Heavy chain – Crystallographic Evidence for a Putative Tetrameric Pore” The Botulinum Journal. (Accepted for publication).

2. Amit, G., Damodharan, L., Yixin, S., & Hwai-Chen, G.,“Structural insight into the molecular ruler mechanism of the endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase ERAP1” Sci. Rep, 1, 186; DOI:10.1038/srep00186 (2011). (Nature publishing group).

3. Damodharan, L., et. al. “Crystal structure of a putative single stranded nucleic acid binding protein from Bacillus subtilis at 2.1 Å resolution”. Acta Cryst. (2010). F66, 8-11.

4. Damodharan, L. and Vasantha Pattabhi. “Hydropathy analysis to correlate structure and function of proteins” Biochem. Biophy. Res. Commun. 323 (200*-***-****.

5. Damodharan, L. and Vasantha Pattabhi. “Weak dihydrogen bond interactions in organic crystals” Tet. Lett., 45-200*-****-****.

6. Damodharan, L., Vasantha Pattabhi, M. Behera and S.R. Kotha. “Optimization of interactions in crystal packing revealed by crystal structures” J. Mol. Struc. 705 (2004) 101-106.

7. Damodharan, L., Vasantha Pattabhi and K. Nagarajan. “Solvent interactions with b-Cyclodextrin : as observed in crystal structures” Mol. cryst. and Liq. Cryst. 423 (2004) 17-35.

8. Damodharan, L., Vasantha Pattabhi, M. Behera and S.R. Kotha. “Conformational switching caused by Dibenzyl substitution at C alpha position” Acta Cryst. C60 (2004) 527-530.

9. Damodharan, L., Vasantha Pattabhi, M. Behera, S.R. Kotha. “Ethyl 2-formamido-2-(4-iodobenzyl)-3-(4-iodophenyl)propionate and ethyl 2-fo-(3-bromobenzyl)-3-(3-bromophenyl)-2-formamidopropionate” Acta. Cryst. C59 (2003) 216-218.

10. Damodharan, L., Vasantha Pattabhi, R. Sivakumar, S.R. Kotha. “Precursors to dodecahedrane” Acta. Cryst. C58 (2003) 373-375.

11. S.R. Kotha, S. Halder, Damodharan, L. and Vasantha Pattabhi. “First and Unexpected Synthesis of Macrocyclic Cyclophane-Based Unusual a-amino acid derivatives by Phosphazene Base without High Dilution Conditions” Bio. org. & Med. Chem. Lett. 12-200*-****-****.

12. Damodharan, L., N. Shamaladevi, Vasantha Pattabhi, M. Behera and S.R. Kotha. “Ethyl 6-acetylamino-6,7-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,c]cycloheptene-6-carboxylic acid ethyl ester” Acta. Cryst. C58 (2002) 266-267.

13. Damodharan, L., Syed Ibrahim, B, Vasantha Pattabhi, S. Halder and S.R. Kotha. “Anti - 2,19 - Diethoxycarbonyl - 2, 19 – diformylamino [3.2.3.2] paracyclophane” Acta. Cryst. E58 (200*-****-****.

14. S. R. Kotha, S. Halder, Damodharan, L. and Vasantha Pattabhi. “Synthesis of two new hexaquinanes: advanced C20 precursors to dodecahedrane” Tet. Lett. 43-200*-****-****.

15. Damodharan, L., Vasantha Pattabhi and K. Nagarajan. “(1-Methyl-5-nitroimidazol-2-yl) - 1 - (methylsulfonyl)imidazolidin - 2 - one” Acta. Cryst. E58 (200*-****-****.

16. Damodharan, L., K. Mohanraja, S. Kotha, S. Durani and Vasantha Pattabhi. “Conformational Effects of Ca,a -Dipropargylglycine as a Constrained Residue” Biopolymers. 59 (2001) 330-338.

17. G. Felcy Fabiola, Vivek Bobde, Damodharan, L., Vasantha Pattabhi and S. Durani. “Conformational Preferences of Heterochiral Peptides. Crystal structures of heterochiral peptides Boc-(D)Val–(D)Ala–Leu–Ala–OMe and Boc–Val–Ala–Leu–(D) Ala–Ome. Enhanced stability of beta-sheet through C-H...O hydrogen bonds” Journal of Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics. 18 (2001) 579-594.

18. A. Johnson, Damodharan, L., and Vasantha Pattabhi. “Specificity pocket water network and its role in the activity of proteolytic enzymes: revealed by crystal strutures of trypsin” J. Biochem. Mol. Biol. Biophys. 5 (2001) 559-565.

19. G. Felcy Fabiola, Damodharan, L., Vasantha Pattabhi, K. Nagrajan, “Cyclooxygenase 2 - an attractive target for fruitful drug design” Curr. Sci. 80 (2001) 26-34.

Protein Structures Submitted to Protein Data Bank

1. Damodharan, L., Burley, S.K., Swaminathan, S. 2010 “Crystal structure of a possible glutathione S-transferase from Rhodopseudomonar palustris” (3m8n).

2. Damodharan, L., Burley, S.K., Swaminathan, S. 2009 “Crystal structure of response regulator receiver protein from Pseudoalteromonas” (3kto).

3. Damodharan, L., Burley, S.K., Swaminathan, S. 2009 “Crystal structure of alcohol dehydrogenase superfamily protein from Novosphingobium aromaticivorans” (3gaz).

4. Damodhran, L., Burley, S.K., Swaminathan, S. 2009 “Crystal Structure of an Histidinol-phosphate aminotransferase from Geobacter metallireducens” (3hdo).

5. Damodharan, L., Burley, S.K., Swaminathan, S. 2009 “Crystal structure of a putative Thiol:disulfide interchange protein DsbE from Chlorobium tepidum” (3gl3).

6. Damodharan, L., Burley, S.K., Swaminathan, S. 2009 “Crystal Structure of probable secreted solute-binding lipo protein from Streptomyces coelicolor” (3i3v).

7. Damodharan, L., Burley, S.K., Swaminathan, S 2008 “Crystal structure of a chitinase from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron” (3co4 & 3fnd).

8. Damodharan, L., Burley, S.K., Swaminathan, S. 2008 “Crystal structure of an uncharacterized protein from Fervidobacterium nodosum Rt17-B1” (3cyg).

9. Damodharan, L., Sauder, M., Burley, S.K., Swaminathan, S. 2008 “Crsytal structure of a phosphatase from a Toxoplasma gondii (PP2C)” (3d8k).

10. Damodharan, L., K Burley, S.K., Swaminathan, S. 2008 “Crystal Structure of an oxidoreductase from Enterococcus faecalis” (3e9m & 3fd8).

11. Damodharan, L., Eswaramoorthy, S., Burley, S.K., Swaminathan, S. 2006 “Structure of a Hypothetical protein from B. subtilis, pfam:DUF910” (2nn4).

12. Damodharan, L., Eswaramoorthy, S., Kumaran, D., Swaminathan, S. 2005 “Crystal structure of molybdopterin-guanine dinucleotide biosynthesis protein B ” (2f1r).

Conference Presentations

1. Damodharan, L., Subramaniam, E., Kumaran, D and S. Swaminathan. “Crystal Structure of Molybdopterin-Guanine Bio-synthesis Protein B” American Crystallographic Association, Honolulu, Hawaii, July 22-27, 2006.

2. Damodharan, L. and Vasantha Pattabhi. “Hydropathy analysis to correlate structure and function of proteins” International symposium on recent trends in macromolecular structure and function. Chennai, Department of crystallography and biophysics, University of Madras, January 19-23, 2004.

3. Damodharan, L., Vasantha Pattabhi, Sambasivarao Kotha and Somnath Halder. “Crystal Structure Determination of Macrocyclic Cyclophane-Based Unusual alpha-Amino Acid Derivative” Asian Crystallographic Association (As`CA),Bangalore, November 18-21, 2001.

4. Damodharan, L., Vasantha Pattabhi and S. Durani. “De-Novo Design of Protease Triad into a Hetero Configurational Peptide Fold” International Symposum on Crystallography and Bioinformatics in Structural Biology, Bangalore, November 22-25, 2001.

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