My
name is Sandro Ataide and I’m from
Sao Paulo, Brazil. I earned my BS in Chemistry
at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP)
and my MS in Biochemistry at the University
of Sao Paulo (USP). During my undergraduate
I developed research in two laboratories
with different backgrounds, one being in
Physical Chemistry and the other in Organic
Chemistry. In my senior year I took a winter
course of the Structure and Function of
Proteins and realized that I wanted to work
with proteins. So I moved to the University
of Sao Paulo to get my Master’s in
Biochemistry. My MS project was to
change the activity of the tryptophanyl-tRNA
synthetase (TrpRS) of E.coli in order to
make it able to use a methylated analog
of tryptophan instead of tryptophan.
During
my MS I realized that it would be beneficial
to earn my PhD overseas at a good University.
I applied to the Graduate Program of Microbiology
Department at the OSU where several professors
are developing interesting research in subjects
that I want to learn more about. Also, because
OSU is a big university, I can always find
good seminars to attend and facilities to
help me develop my research.
Presently, I’m in Dr.
Michael Ibba’s
Lab where I intend to develop my project to earn
my PhD. My project is to produce mutants of the
enzyme lysyl-tRNA synthetase (LysRS) from E.coli that
where designed based on the X-Ray crystal structure
of this protein. Theses mutants will
help us to understand the activity and importance
of the active-site lysine of the LysRS during
the steps of activation of the lysine with
ATP and
the step of aminoacylation of the tRNALys.
The final goal of this project is to compare
the
mechanism of recognition and activation of
Lysine by the
LysRS from E.coli (as a model for
the human LysRS, based on their structural
similarities
and sequence)
and Borrelia borgdorferi (causative
agent of Lyme disease) and hopefully develop
antibiotics that
will target the LysRS of B.borgdorferi.
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