Kenneth Woycechowsky——Professor
Nationality:
USA

Phone:


Email:
kenneth@tju.edu.cn

Office:
Room A505, Building 24, Tianjin University

School:
School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology

ResearcherID:
K-5833-2015

Group weblink

http://woycechowskylab.website2.me/






Education Experience
1994-2002 Ph. D. Biochemistry University Wisconsin-Madison, WI, USA
2002-2008 Postdoctoral Organic Chemistry ETH-Zürich, CH

Professional Experience
2008-2014 Assistant Professor Department of Chemistry, University of Utah
2014- Professor School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University

Research Area
The research in the Woycechowsky group focuses on the supramolecular chemistry of proteins. In particular, we are interested in proteins that assemble into symmetrical, closed-shell, polyhedral capsid structures. Protein capsids can act as molecular containers and delivery vehicles for a variety of molecular cargoes, and therefore are useful for bionanotechnological applications, such as drug delivery, catalysis, and materials synthesis. Protein engineering strategies are used to explore and exploit the supramolecular chemistry of protein capsids. This approach is inherently interdisciplinary, utilizing methods from biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, organic chemistry, and cell biology. Research projects in our lab fall into three main areas, including 1) capsid self-assembly, 2) molecular encapsulation, and 3) drug delivery.



Honors and Awards
National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellowship, 2004-2006
NIH Chemistry-Biology Interface training grant, 1995-1998
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation fellowship, 1994-1995

Patents
Beld, J.; Woycechowsky, K.J.; and Hilvert, D. Diselenide resins for oxidative protein folding. European Patent Office application number EP** (2009).

Highlighted Publications
Lilavivat, S.; Sardar, D.; Jana, S.; Thomas, G. C.; Woycechowsky, K. J. In Vivo encapsulation of nucleic acids using an engineered non-viral protein capsid. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 13152.
Chen, H.-N.; Woycechowsky, K. J. Conversion of a dodecahedral protein capsid into pentamers via minimal point mutations. Biochemistry 2012, 51, 4704.
Steiner, A.M.; Woycechowsky, K. J.; Olivera, B. M.; Bulaj, G. Reagentless oxidative folding of disulfide-rich peptides is catalyzed by an intramolecular diselenide. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2012, 51, 5580.
W?rsd?rfer, B.; Woycechowsky, K. J.; Hilvert, D. Directed evolution of a protein container. Science 2011, 331, 589.
Woycechowsky, K. J.; Choutko, A.; Vamvaca, K.; Hilvert, D. Relative tolerance of an enzymatic molten globule and its thermostable counterpart to point mutation. Biochemistry 2008, 47, 13489.

ResearcherID Publications
Year Title Author(s) Source Volume
2012 Conversion of a Dodecahedral Protein Capsid into Pentamers via Minimal Point Mutations Chen, Hsiao-Nung; Woycechowsky, Kenneth J. Biochemistry 51
2012 In Vivo Encapsulation of Nucleic Acids Using an Engineered Nonviral Protein Capsid Lilavivat, Seth; Sardar, Debosmita; Jana, Subrata; et al. Journal of the American Chemical Society 134
2012 Reagentless Oxidative Folding of Disulfide-Rich Peptides Catalyzed by an Intramolecular Diselenide Steiner, Andrew M.; Woycechowsky, Kenneth J.; Olivera, Baldomero M.; et al. Angewandte Chemie-International Edition 51
2011 Directed Evolution of a Protein Container Woersdoerfer, Bigna; Woycechowsky, Kenneth J.; Hilvert, Donald Science 331
2010 Diselenides as universal oxidative folding catalysts of diverse proteins Beld, Joris; Woycechowsky, Kenneth J.; Hilvert, Donald Journal of Biotechnology 150
2010 Small-Molecule Diselenides Catalyze Oxidative Protein Folding in Vivo Beld, Joris; Woycechowsky, Kenneth J.; Hilvert, Donald Acs Chemical Biology 5
2009 Selenoglutathione: Efficient Oxidative Protein Folding by a Diselenide (vol 46, pg 5382, 2007) Beld, Joris; Woycechowsky, Kenneth J.; Hilvert, Donald Biochemistry 48
2008 Catalysis of oxidative protein folding by small-molecule diselenides Beld, Joris; Woycechowsky, Kenneth J.; Hilvert, Donald Biochemistry 47
2008 Relative Tolerance of an Enzymatic Molten Globule and Its Thermostable Counterpart to Point Mutation Woycechowsky, Kenneth J.; Choutko, Alexandra; Vamvaca, Katherina; et al. Biochemistry 47
2007 Minimalist active-site redesign: Teaching old enzymes new tricks Toscano, Miguel D.; Woycechowsky, Kenneth J.; Hilvert, Donald Angewandte Chemie-International Edition 46