Manager Assistant

Vesna Sator de Serrano, Ph.D.

*** * ****** **.

Baltimore, MD 21201

Cell 919-***-****

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

EDUCATION

University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN Ph.D.

Biochemistry

University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN M.S.

Biochemistry

University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia, B.S.

Chemistry

CITIZENSHIP

US Citizen

LANGUAGES

English, Bosnian, Spanish, French

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2012-: Manager/Research Associate of the X-ray Core Facility for

Macromolecular Crystallography at the Department of Pharmacology, School of

Pharmacy, University of Maryland at Baltimore, Maryland

Responsible for running and maintenace of X-ray generator and

crystallization robotics and enabling smooth operations of the X-Ray Core

Facility, as well as working on crystallizations and crystallographic

structures of transcription factor - DNA complexes from Helicobacter

pylori, gram-negative bacterium colonizing human stomach and gastric

epithelium.

2012-: Research Assistant Faculty, Adjunct, Chemistry Department, North

Carolina State University-Raleigh, North Carolina

Responsible for working on X-ray structures of enzyme dehaloperoxidase in

complex with its natural substrate, and its analogs, as well as in complex

with its diatomic ligands, and working with graduate students on these

projects.

2011: Research Associate, Chemistry Department, Georgia State University-

Atlanta, Georgia

Responsible for setting up and developing research in X-ray crystallography

structure determination of metalloenzymes involved in metabolism of some

amino acids such as tryptophane and cysteine, as well as training of

graduate students in the relevant techniques.

2010-2011: Associated Investigator (Investigador Asociado), Chemistry

Department, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Responsible for working on cloning and structure determination of

several S-nitrosylated proteins, including Ca+2 binding protein calbindin

D28K as well as a variant of mRuby red fluorescent protein, and

supervision and training of graduate and undergraduate students in the

relevant techniques.

2009-2010: Research Assistant Faculty, Chemistry Department, North

Carolina State University-Raleigh, North Carolina

Responsible for working on X-ray structure of enzyme dehaloperoxidase

and teaching and providing training to graduate and undergraduate students.

2005 - 2009: Research Associate, Chemistry Department, North Carolina

State University-Raleigh, North Carolina

Responsible for expression in E. coli, purification and developing

crystallization protocols in order to study X-ray structure of enzyme

dehaloperoxidase.

Design and develop protocols to support project development.

Involved in preparation and review of manuscripts.

2003 - 2005: Research Associate, Kenan/Bayer Corporation/ NC State financed

project: Departments of Biochemistry and Chemistry, North Carolina State

University- Raleigh, North Carolina

Responsible for executing project entitled "Plasmin Characterization:

Spectroscopic Analyses of Denaturation Compared with Biolgical Activity"

Responsible for reviewing related current literature to identify relevant

techniques, and providing analysis for best course of action.

Design and develop protocols to support project development.

Interact with Bayer representatives to present results of the project for

the purpose of keeping them informed and motivating them to incorporate

these results into related work.

Involved in preparation and presentation of quaterly reports, and

preparation of manuscripts.

1999- 2003: Research Scientist, Lab Manager Department of Molecular and

structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University- Raleigh, North

Carolina,

Responsible for new lab start up, purchase of equipment, organization

and implementation.

Negotiated with companies for equipment prices and delivery schedule.

Organized demonstrations of equipment for potential purchase by relevant

companies.

Interacted with departmental staff regarding physical requirements of

equipment and oversaw necessary changes.

Directed the daily operations of the lab including but not limited to

expression, purification, and preparation of protein samples for protein

crystallography, training of all incoming personnel, and financial record-

keeping.

1998- 1999: Research Scientist, Lab Manager Department of Biochemistry and

Biophysics, University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, North Carolina,

Responsible for operations of the lab, organization and

implementation.

Negotiated with companies for equipment prices and delivery schedule.

Organized demonstrations of equipment for potential purchase by relevant

companies.

Interacted with departmental staff regarding physical requirements of

equipment and oversaw necessary changes.

Directed the daily operations of the lab including but not limited to

expression, purification, and preparation of protein samples for NMR

studies, and conducting NMR experiments. Training of all incoming

personnel, and financial record-keeping.

1994-1998: Research Associate, Departments of Neurology and Cell Biology,

Duke University Medical Center - Durham, North Carolina

Worked with the proteins believed to be involved with late onset

Alzheimer's desease, namely apolipoprotein E and its 2 variants

Developed methodology to study associations of variants of ApoE with

peptide sequences derived from microtubule associated protein tau, another

hallmark of human dementias

Developed protein labeling protocols in order to study protein interactions

utilizing Surface plasmon resonance (Biocore apparatus)

Study structure of tau derived peptides in solution using NMR

1993- 1994: Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Medical School of Valle,

University of Valle-Cali, Columbia

Taught undergraduate and graduate level courses in molecular biology

and protein structure.

Consulting in research toward developing malaria vaccine

Skills/Techniques

Protein crystallization techniques for producing protein crystals suitable

for macxromolecular X- ray crystallographyic structure determinations, data

collection, and solving protein and protein/DNA complex structure.

Maintenance of Rigaku X-ray diffractometer, MicroMax 007, as well as

operating various crystallization robots and crystal imagers. Remote

collection of macromolecular crystal diffraction data sets at various SSRL

and APS synchrotron beam lines.

Protein purification and characterization; Chromatography: ion exchange,

hydrophobic interaction, affinity columns, reverse phase, size exclusion,

FPLC, HPLC.

Molecular biology experience: cDNA cloning, construction of protein domains

via DNA manipulation, DNA mutagenesis, PCR methodologies.

Protein expression in bacteria, some mammalian systems.

Developing assays in ligand-protein and protein-protein binding

characterizations by:

ELISA, RIA, pull-down assays, Western blotting, surface plasmon resonance

(Biocore), titration calorimetry (ITC), fluorescence titrations and

fluorescence anisotropy, stopped flow methods.

Developing assays for protein structure-function characterizations by

various biophysical methods which include:

Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR),circular dichroism (CD),

differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), analytical ultracentrifugation,

fluorescence techniques, video-enhanced differential interference contrast

microscopy.

Development of assays utilizing spectrophotometric methods for determining

enzyme kinetic properties.

Professional Affiliations

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Protein Society

PUBLICATIONS

In preparation:

de Serrano,V.S., West, A.L., Michel, S.L.J., and Pozharskiy, E.:"HpNikR-

Operator Complex Structure and Mechanism of Operator Activation by Metal

Ions"

Zhao, J., de Serrano, V.S., Dumarieh, R., Thompsom, M., Ghiladi R., and

Franzen, S.: "The Role of Distal Histidine in H2O2 Activation and Heme

Protection in both Peroxidase and Globin Functions"

De Serrano, V.S., Zhang, J., and Franzen, S.: "A Unique Role for the Distal

Histidine Observed in Carbonmonoxy Dehaloperoxidase A-Hemoglobin

Structures"

Wei, X., de Serrano, V.S., Liu, F., Rehmani, I., Ni, N., Wang, B., and Liu,

A.:

"The Role of Histidine Residues in Pi32 as Revealed by Chemical

Modification and Structural Studies"

Huo, L., de Serrano, V.S., Chen, L., and Liu, A.: "Evidence for the

Catalytic Role of Metal-Bound Water at ACMSD Active Site"

de Serrano, V.S., Rodriguez, M., and Schreiter, E. "High Resolution

Structures of Blackfin Tuna Myoglobin"

Davis, M.F., de Serrano, V.S.,Gracz, H., Vendeix, F.A.P., Somasundaram, A.,

Negrerie, M., and Franzen, S. "The V59W Mutant Blocks the Distal Pocket of

the Dehaloperoxidase-Hemoglobin from Amphitriate ornate"

Peer reviewed journals:

Liu,F., Rehmani,I., Esaki,S., Fu,R., Chen,L., de Serrano,V.S., Liu, A.:

"Pirin is an Iron-Dependent Redox Regulator of NF-kB", Proc. Natl. Acad.

Sci.

U.S.A. 110, 9722-9727, 2013

Zhao,J., de Serrano,V., Zhao,J., Le,P., and Franzen,S.:"Structural and

Kinetic

Study of an Internal Substrate Binding Site in Dehaloperoxidase-Hemoglobin

A

from Amphitrite ornata", Biochemistry 52, 2427-2439, 2013

de Serrano,V., and Franzen,S.:"Stuctural Evidence for Stabilization of

Inhibitor Binding by a Protein Cavity in the Dehaloperoxidase-Hemoglobin

from Amphitrite ornate", Peptide Science 98, 27-35, 2011

D'Antonio, E.L., D'Antomio, J., de Serrano, V., Gracz, H., Thompson, M.K.,

Ghiladi, R.A.,

Bowden, E.F., and Franzen, S.:" The Functional Consequences of the Creation

of an Asp-His-Fe Triad in a 3/3 Globin", Biochemistry, 2011 Sep 27. [Epub

ahead of print]

de Serrano, V.S., Davis, F.M., Gaff, F.J., Zhang, Q., Chen, Z., D'Antonio,

E.L., Bowden, E.F., Rose, R., and Franzen, S.:"X-ray Structure of the

Metcyano Form of Dehaloperoxidse from Amphitrite ornate: Evidence for

Photoreductive Dissociation of the Iron-Cyanide Bond", Acta Crystallogr.

D66, 770-782, 2010

de Serrano, V., D'Antonio, J., M.K. Franzen, S., and Ghiladi, R.A.:"Crystal

Structure of Dehaloperoxidase B at 1.58 and Structural Characterization

of the A/B Dimer from Amphitrite ornata", Acta Crystallogr. D66, 529-538,

2010

Thompson, M.K., Davis, M.F., de Serrano, V., Nicoletti, F.P,

Howes, B.D, Smulevich, G., Franzen, S.:"Internal Binding of Halogenated

Phenols in Dehaloperoxidase-Hemoglobin Inhibits Peroxidase Function",

Biophys. J., 99, 1586-1595, 2010

Chen, Z., de Serrano, V.S., Betts, L., and Franzen, S.: "Distal Histidine

Conformational Flexibility in Dehaloperoxidase from Amphitrite ornate",

Acta Crystallogr. D65, 34-40, 2009

Davis, M.F., Gratz, H., Vendeix, F.A., de Serrano, V.S., Somasundaram, A.,

Decatur, S.M., and Franzen, S.: "Different Modes of Binding of Mono-, Di-,

and Trihalogenated Phenols of the Hemoglobin-Dehaloperoxidase from

Amphitrite ornata", Biochemistry, 48, 2164-2172, 2009

de Serrano, V.S., Chen, Z., Davis, M., and Franzen S.:"X-ray Crystal

Structure Analysis of the Binding Site in the Ferric and Oxyferrous Forms

of the Recombinant Heme Dehaloperoxidase Cloned from Amphitrite ornata"

Acta Crystallogr. D63, 1094-1101, 2007

Serrano, V., Wenge, L., and Franzen, S.. " An Infrared Spectroscopic Study

of the Conformational Transition of Elastin_like Polypeptides" Biophys. J.,

93, 2429-2435, 2007

Nicely, N., Kosak, J, de Serrano, V., and Mattos, C. "Crystal Structures of

Ral-

GppNHp and Ral-GDP Reveal Two Novel Binding Sites that Are Also Present

In Ras and Rap" Structure, 12, 2025-2036, 2004

Buhrman, G., de Serrano, V. and Mattos, C. "Organic Solvents Order the

Dynamic Switch II in Ras Crystals" Structure, 11, 747-751, 2003

Scott, B.L., Welch, K., de Serrano, V., Moss, N.C., Roses, A.D., and

Strittmatter, W.J. "Human Apolipoprotein E Accelerates Microtubule

Polymerization In Vitro", Neuroscence Letters, 245, 105-108, 1998

de Serrano, V., Ribeiro, A.A., Strittmatter, W.J., and Spicer, L.D. " NMR

Investigation of a Microtubule Binding Region Peptide From Human Tau (t)

Protein", Protein and Peptide Letters, 4, 165-172, 1997

Strittmatter, W.J., Burke, J.R. de Serrano, V.S., Huang, D.Y., Matthew, W.,

Saunders, A.M., Scott, B.L., Vance, J.M., Weisgraber, K.H., and Roses, A.D.

"Protein:Protein Interactions in Alzheimer's Disease and CAG Triplet Repeat

Diseases", Cold Spring Harbor Symp. On Quant. Biol., 61, 1-9, 1996

Strittmatter, W.J., de Serrano, V., Huang, D.Y., Martin, M.E., Roses, A.D.,

and

Saunders, A.M. "Interactions of Apolipoprotein E with Microtubule-

Associated

Proteins", In Apolipoprotein E and Alzheimer's Disease (Roses et al. Eds.),

Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 1996

de Serrano, V.S. and Castellino, F.J., "The Involvment of Tyrosine-76 of

the

Kringle 2 Domain of Tissue-type Plasminogen Activator in its Thermal

Stability

and its w-Amino Acid Ligand Binding Site", Biochemistry, 33, 3509-3514,

1994

de Serrano, V.S. and Castellino, F.J., "The Role of Strictly Conserved

Tryptophan-

25 Residue in the Stabilization of the Structure and Ligand Binding

Properties of

the Kringle 2 Domain of Tissue-type Plasminogen Activator", Biochemistry,

33,

1340-1344, 1994

de Serrano, V.S., and Castellino, F.J. "The Specific Anionic Residues of

the

Recombinant Kringle 2 Domain of Tissue-type Plasminogen Activator that are

Responsible for Stabilization of its Interaction with w-Amino Acid

Ligands",

Biochemistry, 32, 3540-3548, 1993

de Serrano, V.S., and Castellino, F.J., "The Cationic Locus on the

Recombinant

Kringle 2 Domain of Tissue-type Plasminogen Activator that Stabilizes its

Interaction with w-Amino Acids", Biochemistry, 31, 116**-*****, 1992

de Serrano, V.S. and Castellino, F.J., "The Role of Tryptophane-74 of the

Recombinant Kringle 2 Domain of Tissue-type Plasminogen Activator in its

w-Amino Acid Binding Properties", Biochemistry, 31, 3326-3335, 1992

de Serrano, V.S., Menhart, N., and Castellino, F.J., "The Expression,

Purification

and Characterization of the Recombinant Kringle 1 Domain from Tissue-type

Plasminogen Activator through Utilization of a Novel Echerichia Coli Fusion

Expression Plasmid", Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 294, 282-290, 1992

de Serrano, V.S., Sehl, L.C., and Castellino, F.J., "Direct Identification

of Lysisne-

33 as the Sole Cationic Center of the w-Amino Acid Binding Site of

Recombinant Kringle 2 Domain of Tissue-type PlaPUBLICATIONSsminogen

Activator", Arch.

Bichem. Biophys., 292, 206-212, 1992

Castellino, F.J., Urano, T., de Serrano, V.S., and Beals, J.M., "The

Structure and

Activation of Human Plasminogen", in Lipoprotein (a) (Scanu, A., Ed.),

Academic

Press, Inc., San Diego, pp 87-101, 1990

Urano, T., de Serrano, V.S., Urano, S., and Castellino, F.J., "Stimulation

by

Fibrinogen of the Activity of Recombinant Single Chain Tissue Plasminogen

Activators", Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 270, 356-362, 1989

Urano, T., de Serrano, V.S., Gaffney, P.J., and Castellino, F.J., "The

Influence of

Various Domains of Fibrinogen and Fibrin on the Potentiation of Plasminogen

Activation by Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator", J. Prot. Chem., 8,

471-

480, 1990

Urano, T., de Serrano, V.S., Gaffney, P.J., and Castellino, F.J.,

"Effectors of the

Activation of Human [Glu1]-Plasminogen by Human Single Chain Urokinase",

Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 264, 221-230, 1988

Gaffney, P.J., Urano, T., de Serrano, V.S., Mahmoud-Alexandroni, M.,

Metzger,

A.R., and Castellino, F.J., "A Role for Chloride Ion and Fibrinogen in the

Activation of [Glu1]-Plasminogen in Human Plasma", Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.,

U.S.A., 85, 3593-3598, 1988

Castellino, F.J., Urano, T., Chibber, B.A.K., and de Serrano, V.S., "Anion

Effects on the Activation of Human [Glu1] Plasminogen", in Fibrinolysis.

Current

Prospects (Gaffney, P.J. et al., Eds.) pp 27-33, John Libbey & Company,

London,

1988

Castellino, F.J., Urano, T., and de Serrano, V.S., "Control of Human

Plasminogen

Activation", Haemostasis, 18, 15-23, 1988

Castellino, F.J., Chibber, B.A.K., Beals, J.M., and de Serrano, V.S., "The

Structure and Activation of Human Plasminogen", In Fundamental and Clinical

Fibrinolysis (Castellino et al., Eds.) pp 19-31, Elsevier Science,

Amsterdam, 1987

Urano, T., de Serrano, V.S., Chibber, B.A.K., and Castellino, F.J., "The

Control

of the Urokinase-catalysed Activation of Human Glutamic Acid 1-Plasminogen

by

Positive and Negative Effectors", J. Biol. Chem., 262, 159**-*****, 1987

Scott, F.M., de Serrano, V.S., and Castellino, F.J., "Appearance of

Plasminogen

Activator Activity during a Synchronous Cycle of a Rat Adenocarcinoma Cell

Line

PA-III", Exp. Cell Res., 169, 39-46, 1987

Castellino, F.J., de Serrano, V.S., Powell, J.R., Johnson, W.R., and

Castellino,

F.J., "Secondary Structure Prediction of the Kringle 4 Domain of Human

Plasminogen", Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 247, 312-320, 1986

REFERENCES:

Dr. Stefan Franzen

Professor

Department of Chemistry

North Carolina State University

2620 Yarborough Drive

Box 8204

Raleigh, NC 27695-762

Phone #: 919/515-8915

Email: **************@****.***

Dr. Edwin Pozharskiy

Assistant Professor

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

School of Pharmacy

University of Maryland at Baltimore

Baltimore, MD 21201

Phone #: 410/706-1180

Email: ********@**.*********.***

Dr. Bob Rose

Associate Professor

Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry

North Carolina State University

128 Polk Hall, Raleigh, NC 27695-7622

Phone #: 919/513-4191

Email: *******@****.***

Dr. Eric Schreiter

Assistant Professor

Department of Chemistry

UPR Rio Piedras Campus

NCN-230-Natural Sciences Building

San Juan, PR 00931

Phone # 787-***-****, ext. 4796

Email: ****.*********@*****.***

Dr. Warren Strittmatter

Chief

Division of Neurology

DUMC Box 2900

Durham, NC 27710

Phone 919-***-****

FAX 919-***-****

Email: ******@*****.****.***

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