Assistant High School
Resume:
Vatsala Sagar
**** ********* ***** ***********, ** 20783
**********@*****.***
OBJECTIVE: My work experience spans Molecular Biology, Crystallography,
Protein Purification, and Immunology. I am looking forward to support an
organization with the development and analysis of their current line of
products and to assist in the research and development of new biomedical
products and services.
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Biochemistry. 2007-2011
University of Maryland College Park. Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry,
under Dr. Nicole LaRonde-LeBlanc
M.S. Biochemistry, Chemistry and Molecular Biology. 2001-2003
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine,
under Dr. Phillip Cole, Director of Pharmacology and E.K. Marshall and
Thomas
H. Maren Professor
B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 1998-2001
University of Maryland Baltimore County
MAGNA CUM LAUDE recipient
SCIENTIFIC AUTHORSHIP- PUBLICATIONS
1. Ferreira-Cerca, S.*, Sagar, V.*, Schafer, T., Diop, M., Wesseling, A.,
Lu, H., Chai, E., Hurt, E., LaRonde-LeBlanc, N. (2012) ATPase-dependent
role of the atypical kinase Rio2 on the evolving pre-40S ribosomal
subunit, Nat Struct Mol Biol 19(12):1316-23.
2. Shi, D., Sagar, V., Jin, Z., Yu, X., Caldovic, L., Morizono, H.,
Allewell, N. M., and Tuchman, M. (2008) The crystal structure of N-acetyl-
L-glutamate synthase from Neisseria gonorrhoeae provides insights into
mechanisms of catalysis and regulation., J Biol Chem 283, 7176-7184.
3. Zheng, J.*, Sagar, V.*, Smolinsky, A., Bourke, C., LaRonde-LeBlanc, N.,
and Cropp, T. A. (2009) Structure and function of the macrolide biosensor
protein, MphR(A), with and without erythromycin., J Mol Biol 387, 1250-
1260.
4. Sagar, V., Zheng, W., Thompson, P. R., and Cole, P. A. (2004)
Bisubstrate analogue structure-activity relationships for p300 histone
acetyltransferase inhibitors., Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry 12, 3383-
3390.
* Indicates joint first authorship.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
University of Maryland College Park, 2007-2011
Research and Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant
. Focused research to study enzymes not readily amenable to purification
and crystallization. I independently worked on identifying the
eukaryotic protein structure of ribosomal processing factor, Rio2, at
2.2 . My research on the structural analysis of Rio2 has uncovered a
new catalytic intermediate suggesting an alternate role to Rio2,
originally designation as a kinase. My groundbreaking research also
identified that the Rio2 acts as an ATPase switch to confer that small
ribosome maturation is complete. Over a three year period, I
successfully purified Rio2 from 40% close molecular weight degradation
products and crystals of Rio2 were enlarged from microcrystals
following a innovative 4 month process.
. Found the first crystal structure of N-acteylglutamate synthase (NAGS)
complexed with acetyl-CoA and with CoA plus N-acetylglutamate (NAG) at
2.5 and 2.6 . Impairment of NAGS results in blockage of ureagenesis
leading to hyperammonemia. NAGS has been exhaustively studied since
1981 but determination of a crystal structure had been difficult. In
2006 Shi, et. al wrote of negative results in realizing NAGS crystal
structure. In the first year of my PhD studies I unmasked how to
crystallize NAGS so that it diffracted to 2.4 . My structural
analysis revealed NAGS forms a hexamer with six active sites. A
monomer has two subunits A and B and a single active site consists of
subunit A from monomer 1 and subunit B from adjacent monomer 2. The
six monomers form a ring and activity is concomitant on the structure
of the ring being maintained.
. Collaborated on the structure of MphR(A), a macrolide biosensor
protein that acts as a repressor of transcription of the erythromycin
2'-phosphotransferase MphA gene. I determined the crystal structure
of MphR(A) in the apo form and complexed with erythromycin.
Understanding the mechanism of MphR(A) will lead to advancement in
combatting growing drug resistance of infectious bacteria.
. Worked independently or supervised teams of two on all projects.
I have skills in project design, cloning, protein purification,
crystallization, structure solution/ refinement and analysis. My work on
determining the crystal structures of these diverse and difficult to manage
proteins has given me knowledge and skills to solve most research
assignments. I intend to do research to become a successful scientist in
any Biological or Biochemical field. Concurrently, I have five years
teaching experience in Organic Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry
Laboratories and have assisted in General Biochemistry and General
Chemistry instructions.
Edge Biosystems Gaithersburg MD, 2005-2006
Research Associate in Research and Development
. Collaborated with senior scientists on the development of a new
product to purify DNA via the use of magnetic beads.
. Researched and developed a technique of my own to bind and
remove DNA from magnetite, an iron oxide. This allows for
purification of DNA from heterogeneous mixtures.
Antex Biologics, Inc. Gaithersburg MD, 2004-2005
Research Associate in Research and Development
. Worked as a collaborator with the senior scientist to design,
clone and purify constructs for possible antigens of the
chylamydia vaccine. Identified several soluble constructs for
vaccine studies.
Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) Rockville, MD, 2003-2004
Research Associate
. Purified antibodies and antigens against Rickettsial Disease
through small column chromatography and HPLC utilizing affinity
chromatography, ion exchange, and gel filtration. Tested
antibody strength by ELISA to determine titer and purity of
antibody. Purified antibodies and antigens were provided to
other scientists towards a large scale determination of a
Rickettsial vaccine.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore MD, 2001-2003
Graduate Research Assistant
. Regulated DNA transcription by controlling the acetylation of
histone proteins.
. Designed and synthesized a library of twelve compounds and
tested them as inhibitors of P300, a histone acetyl transferase
enzyme. Two were found to be potent inhibitors of P300. This
opportunity provided experience with solid phase organic
synthesis, peptide synthesis, and protein purification.
University of Maryland Baltimore County Baltimore MD, 2000-2001
Lab Assistant
. Worked independently to synthesize and discover two covalently
bound inhibitors for glyoxalase I, an enzyme of the citric acid
cycle.
. Utilized MALDI to confirm the affinity labels were covalently
bonded to glyoxalase I. Inhibitors of glyoxalse I have shown to
be selective anticancer drugs in tumor cell lines as amounts of
glyoxalase I in these cells are abnormally high.
University of Maryland at College Park, 1995-1997
Student Lab Assistant
. Completed a high school advanced science program in which I
worked with a local scientist 20 hours a week on an independent
research project.
. Documented results and prepared a dissertation of results from
an analysis of the effect of temperature on the spread and
growth of DC3000 strain of Psuedomonas syringae infection in
tomato and tobacco plants. My results were used to further
research on the genetic engineering on tobacco and tomato plants
to prevent crop loss.
TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE
. Structural Biology-Training in X-ray crystallography including growing
and optimizing crystals. Experience in structure refinement
. Protein Purification-Affinity chromatography, gel filtration, ion
exchange, experience troubleshooting the purification of difficult
protein
. Molecular Biology-Recombinant and traditional cloning, PCR,
sequencing, bacterial and yeast transformations, protein expression,
site-directed mutagenesis, yeast and bacterial cell cultures
. Immunology-Westerns, ELISA, antigen design, antibody and antigen
purification
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