Assistant Engineering

Jae-heon Lee

*********@*****.***

*** *********** **. **** : 217-***-****

Champaign, IL 61822

Citizenship status: U.S. Permanent Resident

QUALIFICATIONS

Experienced in planning and leading various scientific research projects over 10 years

Extensive experience in analyzing data, implementing new methods, and problem solving independently

Strong background in protein chromatography (FPLC and HPLC) and assay developments

Developed and optimized analytical methods, using multiple techniques that include HPLC and various

types of Mass Spectrometers for small molecules and proteins

Strong interpersonal and communication skills from diverse lab experiences

Interdisciplinary training in chemistry, biology, and engineering

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Postdoctoral Fellow 2011 to Present

Department of Chemistry, Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Conduct and facilitate cutting-edge tools from chemistry, synthetic biology, and biochemistry to design

and purify potential pharmaceuticals

Gained expertise in: protein purification; fermentation technology; biochemical characterization of

enzymes (HPLC, SDS-PAGE, and MS); structure-activity relationship studies; genetic mutations in diverse

bacteria; enzyme kinetics; isolation and purification of natural products; structure elucidation; instrumental

analysis (UV/Vis, chromatographic separation: size exclusion, RP, ion-exchange, and HILIC); HPLC

(analytical and semi-prep.) techniques

Developments of mass spectrometry (MALDI, ESI (LC/MS/MS), FTICR) and chromatographic analytical

methods for small molecules and proteins: qualitative/quantitative assay, structure elucidation, enzyme

reaction monitoring, screening of unknown metabolites, HT screening

Postdoctoral Fellow 2008 to 2010

Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt Institution of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University

Investigated biosynthetic pathways from Actinomycetales through chemical and genetic approaches:

expression and purification of various proteins; isolation and purification of natural products; sample

separation by column chromatography; mutagenesis of strains; metabolic engineering of new strains

Developed multiple ways to increase solubility of various proteins

Examined enzyme functions through analytical and biochemical techniques

Conducted genome mining and identified various metabolic pathways

Graduate Research Assistant 2002 to 2008

Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Utah

Identified biosynthetic pathways from bacteria and marine organisms: gene expression; protein purification

(affinity, size exclusion, and ion-exchange); isolation and purification of natural products; various column

chromatography

Modified genes to make new natural product analogs

Optimized expression and solubility levels of proteins from diverse microorganisms

Investigated biochemical and biophysical characterization of small molecules and target proteins

Developed methods to characterize novel mechanism of enzyme functions through analytical methods

(LC/MS/MS, NMR, etc.)

Conducted organic and solid-phase synthesis of small molecules and peptides

Established kinetic parameters of enzymes using various analytical methods

Graduate Research Assistant 2001 to 2002

Department of Biology, University of Utah

Investigated biological characteristics of growth cones in the nervous system of Caenorhabditis elegans

Developed methods to identify outgrowth mutants through mutagenesis and genetic screening

Facilitated various imaging techniques by confocal microscope for time-lapse recording in vivo

Graduate Research Assistant 1999 to 2000

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Utah

Performed research on the effect of mixing and salinity in wastewater treatment system

Analyzed the settling effects using velocity modeling with experimental data

Graduate Research Assistant 1998 to 1999

EnviroEnergetics, Salt Lake City, UT

Investigated the anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge through analytical and chemical methods

Graduate Research Assistant 1996 to 1997

Department of Environmental Management, Chonbuk National University, Korea

Performed environmental chemical and biological analyses of wastewater

Developed microbial culturing techniques and environmental impact assessment

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Teaching Assistant 2002

University of Utah, on the course of Developmental Biology

Led small lab group discussions

Teaching Assistant 1996 to 1997

Chonbuk National University, Korea, on the course of Environmental Chemistry

Taught experimental lab course and led discussions

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

2001 to 2002

President, Korean Student Association at University of Utah (~200 students)

1999 to 2001

Vice President, Korean Student Association at University of Utah (~200 students)

AWARD

2001 to 2002

International study scholarship (Jeonju University, Korea)

EDUCATION

Ph.D. Biology, University of Utah 2008

Area of Specialization: Biosynthesis of Natural Products

M.S. Civil Engineering, University of Utah 2002

Major: Environmental Engineering

B.S. Microbiology, Jeonju University, Korea 1996

PUBLICATIONS

Cioni, J. P,; Doroghazi, J. R.; Ju, K.; Yu, X.; Evans, B. S.; Lee, J.; Metcalf, W. W. A cyanohydrin phosphonate

natural product from Streptomyces regensis. 2013, manuscript submitted.

Gao, J.; Ju, K.; Yu, X.; Velásquez, J. E.; Mukherjee, S.; Lee, J.; Zhao, C.; Evans, B. S.; Doroghazi, J. R.; Metcalf, W.

W.; van der Donk, W. A. Use of a phosphonate methyltransferase in the identification of the fosfazinomycin

biosynthetic gene cluster. 2013, Angewandte Chemie, In press.

Lee, J.; Hao, Y.; Blair, P. M.; Melby, J. O.; Agarwal, V; Burkhart, J. B.; Nair, S. K.; Mitchell, D. A. Structural and

functional insight into an unexpectedly selective N-methyltransferase involved in plantazolicin biosynthesis.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013, 110 (32): 129**-*****

Molohon, K. J.; Melby, J. O.; Lee, J.; Evans, B. S.; Dunbar, K. L.; Bumpus, S. B.; Kelleher, N. L.; Mitchell, D. A.

Structure determination and interception of biosynthetic intermediates for the plantazolicin class of highly

discriminating antibiotics. ACS Chem. Biol. 2011, 6, 1307-1313

Lee, J.; McIntosh, J.; Hathaway, B. J.; Schmidt, E. W. Using marine natural products to discover a protease that

catalyzes peptide macrocyclization of diverse substrates. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 2122-2124

Nelson, J. T*.; Lee, J*.; Sims, J. W.; Schmidt, E. W. Characterization of SafC, a catechol 4-O-methyltransferase

involved in saframycin biosynthesis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 2007, 73, 3575-3580

*J.T.N and J.L contributed equally to this work.

ii Jae-heon Lee

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