About

Leadership

Dr. Mark Sellmyer, Co-Director, CTCB
Dr. Mark Sellmyer
Co-Director, CTCB
Ronen Marmorstein, PhD
Dr. Ronen Marmorstein Co-Director, CTCB

The  Center for Translational Chemical Biology (CTCB) is co-directed by Dr. Ronen Marmorstein and Dr. Mark Sellmyer. Dr. Marmorstein obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Chicago, and carried out a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University. Dr. Marmorstein is currently the George W. Raiziss Professor and Vice-Chair in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics in SOM and Adjunct Professor of Chemistry in SAS. Dr. Marmorstein is also the Director of the University of Pennsylvania Chemistry-Biology Interface training program. Dr. Marmorstein’s laboratory uses basic structural and biochemical research to study the  molecular mechanism of protein complexes that mediate acetyl-CoA metabolism, epigenetics and MAPK signaling. Dr. Sellmyer obtained his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from MIT, and his MD/PhD in Chemical and Systems Biology from Stanford. His primary appointment is in Radiology with a secondary appointment in Biochemistry and Biophysics. Dr. Sellmyer’s lab conducts research at the interface of synthetic chemistry, synthetic biology, and chemical biology to develop translational imaging and molecular control systems. Together, Drs. Marmorstein and Sellmyer, are interested in facilitating the cross-talk between basic scientists and clinician-investigators to inform chemical biologist about translationally relevant problems and bring chemical tools to bear in the clinic.

Center Activities

The CTCB will sponsor the following activities:

  • Monthly Research Meetings – two faculty members will present their interdisciplinary chemical biology research. It is anticipated this will promote further interdisciplinary chemical biology research and highlight areas or additional growth/hiring opportunities in chemical biology.

  • Sponsored Seminars – the center will sponsor three external speakers per year (one each in established seminar series within SOM, SAS and SEAS) and these speakers will meet with faculty within the program.

  • Annual Symposia and Retreat – together with the Chemistry-Biology Interface Training Program, the center will host a half-day symposium and summer retreat in the area of Chemical Biology. The intention of the symposium will be to expose members of the UPenn community bring together with experts in the use of chemical biology approaches to basic and translational studies and to motivate collaborative research. The intention of the retreats will be to provide a venue for trainees working in the area of the Center to interact and to facilitate collaborative research between their respective laboratories.

Pilot Projects

The Program will provide two pilot project grants per year on specific (rotating) focus areas. The pilot project grants will require a chemical and biological or preclinical/translational component, involve collaboration among at least two investigators providing expertise in the above components, and use of one or more of the core facilities. It is anticipated that these pilot projects will lead to multi-PI NIH-sponsored research funding.

Associated Core Facilities

Expertise domains and related tools to promote research synergies include: 1) structural biology at the atomic level (X-ray crystallography, NMR and Cryo-EM), 2) applied techniques such as mass spectrometry, computation, various omics and high-throughput preparation and screening technologies, and 3) imaging at the cellular (cryo-ET, STORM), as well as preclinical and clinical stages (optical probes, hyperpolarized MRI, and PET).

The key cores that will support the basic and clinical activities of the Center:

 

Provides resources for the structural (X-ray and NMR) and biophysical analysis of protein-small molecule interactions.

 

Provides resources and access to cryo-EM technology for structure determination of macromolecular complexes with small molecule modulators.

Provides HTS services to identify organic small molecule modulators of signaling pathways, cellular phenotypes, and protein function in models of human disease. 

Provides services to support the chemical synthesis of small molecule compounds, antibody labeling, and nanoparticles.

 

Provides services for imaging of small molecule probes, tracers and therapeutics in animals.

Services include a clinical production laboratory where the radiopharmaceuticals are used for routine diagnostic scans and clinical studies, and a multiuse research area in which new radiotracers are developed for cell studies, animal studies and other research uses.

Located in the Radiology Clinical Core Facility and manages a portfolio of regulatory support for investigational diagnostic imaging probes requiring IND or RDRC regulatory approval and support.