Congratulations to Sheena!

Congratulations to Sheena for her recent publication, “Structural and biochemical investigations of a HEAT-repeat protein involved in the cytosolic iron-sulfur cluster assembly pathway”!

Congrats Gisele and Alison!

Congrats to Gisele Andree on receiving a Student Group Presidents’ Award from the Department of Chemistry at MIT and to Alison Biester on receiving a Leadership Award from the Department of Chemistry at MIT.

Congratulations to Francesca

Congratulations to Francesca for defending her PhD and for her PNAS publication, “Structure of metallochaperone in complex with the cobalamin-binding domain of its target mutase provides insight into cofactor delivery.”

Congratulations Francesca

Congratulations to Francesca on her review, “The role of nucleoside triphosphate hydrolase metallochaperones in making metalloenzymes.” in Metallomics.

Congratulations Cathy

Congrats to Cathy on being invited to speak at the Nobel Symposium on Bioinorganic Chemistry (May 2022)

Congratulations to Abby

Congratulations to Abby on winning the Association of MIT Alumnae (AMITA) Senior Academic Award (May 2022)

Congrats to Mary

Congrats to Mary Andorfer for accepting an assistant professor position at Michigan State University

Congratulations to Talya

Congratulations to Talya on her recent publication, “Ribonucleotide reductase, a novel drug target for gonorrhea.” DOI: 10.7554/eLife.67447

Congratulations to Alison

Congratulations to Alison on her recent publication, “Visualizing the gas channel of a monofunctional carbon monoxide dehydrogenase.” DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2022.111774

Congratulations to Talya on her publication!

Congratulations to Talya on her publication in the Journal of Structural Biology, “Effects of chameleon dispense-to-plunge speed on particle concentration, complex formation, and final resolution: A case study using the Neisseria gonorrhoeae ribonucleotide reductase inactive complex.”

Lindsey Backman’s poster award

Congratulations to Lindsey Backman on winning the Joe Wong Poster Award at this week’s SSRL Users’ Meeting, Metals in Biology workshop.

Paty’s ACS Omega paper

Congratulations to Paty Feliciano for her ACS Omega paper, Crystal Structure of the [4Fe–4S] Cluster-Containing Adenosine-5′-phosphosulfate Reductase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Congrats, Phoebe and Lindsey

Congratulations to Phoebe Li on receiving the Association of MIT Alumnae’s Senior Academic Award, for “demonstrating the highest level of academic excellence through her coursework and related professional activities at MIT.” And Congratulations to Lindsey Backman on being named an MIT Hugh Hampton Young Fellow.

Yay, Mira & Christa!

We’re excited that Mira May and Christa Imrich will be coming to MIT for grad school (Bio & Chem, respectively) this fall. They were both MSRP-Bio summer students in our lab.

Research Slam congratulations to Lindsey & Kelsey!

At the March 29 Research Slam, Lindsey won both first place in the Judge’s award and the Audience Choice award for grad students (“Why does Poop Smell Bad?”), and Kelsey won the Audience Choice award for postdocs (“Avenging Our Immune System”).

Congrats to Luis, Mira, Gisele

Congratulations to former Drennan lab MSRP students Luis Caldera and Mira May and current Drennan lab graduate student Gisele Andrée on receiving NSF awards and/or honorable mention from the NSF. Way to go!

Congratulations on Rohan’s paper

Rohan Jonnalagadda’s paper, “Biochemical and crystallographic investigations into isonitrile formation by a nonheme iron-dependent oxidase/decarboxylase,” is out in Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Percy’s paper in Nature Chemical Biology

Congratulations to Percy Yang-Ting Chen for his publication in Nature Chemical Biology, “Structural Basis for Non-Radical Catalysis by TsrM, a Radical SAM Methylase.” Available here or here (view-only but open access).  

Cathy Drennan, AAAS Fellow

Congratulations to Cathy on being elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. AAAS announcement here, and MIT’s here.

Welcome Dana Westmoreland

We’re very happy to welcome Dana Westmoreland as a new postdoc in the Drennan lab. Dana joins us from Northwestern University.

Many congratulations

Congratulations to Francesca Vaccaro, Gisele Andrée, and Steve Cohen on receiving the Department of Chemistry’s Award for Outstanding Service, and to Francesca for her Kirschstein Fellowship from the NIH.

Paper highlighted, Women in Biological Chemistry

The Drennan lab paper “Disruption of an Oligomeric Interface Prevents Allosteric Inhibition of Escherichia coli Class Ia Ribonucleotide Reductase” has been included in the Journal of Biological Chemistry‘s special issue, “Women in Biological Chemistry,” which brings together Editors’ Picks papers to commemorate the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote in the U.S.

Gilliam awardees from our lab

Congratulations to current Drennan lab grad student Sheena Vasquez and former Drennan lab MSRP/EXROP student Santi Yori on receiving the prestigious Gilliam Fellowship from HHMI.

Welcome Kelsey Miller

We’re very happy to welcome Kelsey Miller as a new postdoc in the Drennan lab. Kelsey joins us from the University of California, Irvine.

Publications this week

Congratulations to Steve Cohen and former Drennan lab member Elizabeth Wittenborn on their papers published this week in JACS and ACS Catalysis, respectively (links on our Publications page).

Congratulations to Dr. Dawson!

Congratulations to Dr. Dawson on his successful thesis defense, March 16. We were glad to be able to at least join him virtually.

Congratulations to Abby!

Congratulations to undergrad Abby Scott for her induction into MIT’s Laureates and Leaders program as a member of the cohort of 2022!

Welcome Alison and Gisele!

The Drennan Lab welcomes first year MIT chemistry graduate students, Alison Biester and Gisele Andree, to the group!

Cathy Featured on WBUR

Cathy was recently featured on WBUR as part of the Edify’s Lessons Learned series.  She shared her story of how her experience with dyslexia shaped her career and life. Read the article and listen to the news story here!

Last Starbucks run of summer!

Last official Starbucks run of the summer term. Best of luck to our summer interns and to Dr. Allena Goren who defended over the summer. The lab won’t be the same without you! 

Congratulations to Steve!

Congrats to Steve Cohen for receiving an MIT Spot Award for his work on the Chemistry Graduate Student Council (CGSC), including serving as a President of the CGSC. 

Drennan Lab Family Reunion Celebrating 20 Years at MIT!

This July marked 20 years since Cathy started her career at MIT. We celebrated by hosting a family reunion, inviting the lab alumni to come back to MIT and reconnect. There were talks about research performed by various alumni after their time in the Drennan lab and updates about the original projects that are the… Continue reading Drennan Lab Family Reunion Celebrating 20 Years at MIT!

Recent paper on spare part proteins featured by MIT Biology!

Congratulations to former postdoc Sarah Bowman, current lab members–Lindsey Backman, Rebekah Bjork, and Mary Andorfer, and former MSRP summer students, Santiago Yori and Alessio Caruso, for their paper in Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry. Their paper titled, Solution structure and biochemical characterization of a spare part protein that restores activity to an oxygen-damaged glycyl radical… Continue reading Recent paper on spare part proteins featured by MIT Biology!

Congratulations to Elizabeth and Steve !

Congratulations to Elizabeth Wittenborn and Steve Cohen for their paper, Structural insight into metallocofactor maturation in carbon monoxide dehydrogenase, in the Journal of Biological Chemistry! Read it here!

Congratulations to Steve!

Congratulations to graduate student Steve Cohen for being selected as a 2019-2020 Martin Family Society of Fellows for Sustainability. Learn more here!

Congratulations to Sheena!

Congratulations to graduate student Sheena Vasquez for receiving the Teresa Keng Teaching Award for her work in 7.014!

Congratulations to Percy!

Congratulations to Percy Yang-Ting Chen on his first author paper, X-ray crystallography–based structural elucidation of enzyme-bound intermediates along the 1‑deoxy‑d‑xylulose 5-phosphate synthase reaction coordinate, in Journal of Biological Chemistry! Read it here!

Congratulations (and Welcome Back), Kiana!

Congratulations to Drennan Lab EXROP Kiana Williams on her graduation from Drexel University in Philadelphia with a Bachelor’s in Chemistry! Kiana returns to the Drennan Lab summer for an EXROP Capstone experience. Welcome back to the Drennan Lab!

The Drennan Lab welcomes Dr. Squire Booker to campus for the 2019 Doctoral Hooding Ceremony!

Members of the Drennan Lab were happy to welcome Squire Booker, PhD ’94, Evan Pugh Professor of Chemistry and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Eberly Family Distinguished Chair in Science at Penn State University, to MIT as he prepared to offer remarks at the 2019 Investiture of Doctoral Hoods and Degree Conferral Ceremony. Dr.… Continue reading The Drennan Lab welcomes Dr. Squire Booker to campus for the 2019 Doctoral Hooding Ceremony!

Welcome Dante and Gerardo!

The Drennan lab welcomes first year MIT Biology graduate student Gerardo Perez Goncalves and first year Harvard Biophysics graduate student Dante Avalos!  

Lab outing to see Photograph 51!

Members of the lab had the opportunity to see Photograph 51 at Central Square Theater. The play recounts the competitive race to solve the structure of the DNA molecule using X-ray crystallography. Learn more about the play here and Central Square Theater here!  

Congratulations to Cathy!

Congratulations to Cathy for being named the 2018-2019 King Lecturer Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, the Kenneth L. Rinehart Lecturer at the University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, and  the William W. Wells Lecturer at Michigan State University!