Sean J Elliott

Research

Research in the Elliott Group is focused on the mechanistic enzymology and bioinorganic chemistry of redox active metalloenzymes that are found in human health and environmental biogeochemical cycling mediated by bacterial and archaeal organisms. In every area, we collaborate with groups across the globe to understand how macromolecules engage in powerful redox chemistry. Major areas of NIH and DOE-sponsored research include:

• Iron-sulfur Clusters in Biology – The rationalization of the function of AdoMet Radical Enzymes and ferredoxin redox carriers, requires marriage of structure-function relationships and redox potentials of their metallocofactors.
• Multi-heme Cytochromes – Many heme containing proteins in nature contain multiple hemes allowing for novel catalytic properties, multi-electron redox catalysis and long-range electron transfer.
• Enzymology of CO₂ Reduction – Sponsored by the Department of Energy, rationalizing the directionality of reversible redox enzymes, and the importance of redox carrriers is evaluated. Anaerobic microbiology meets spectroscopy and protein electrochemistry in this project.
• Metalloenzyme Discovery – Bioinformatics is routinely used in the Elliott Group to rationalize how nature has diversified the chemistry of heme- and iron-sulfur clusters in novel metalloenzymes.

Publications

• NCBI PubMed
• Google Scholar

Techniques & Resources

• Electrochemistry of biomolecules. The Elliott Group specializes in the use of electrochemistry as a tool to probe enzyme mechanisms, and to assemble enzyme:electrode interfaces for biosensors.
• Bioinformatics of metalloprotein superfamilies through the use of sequence similarity network analyses and gene ontology.
• Biophysical methods and bioinorganic spectroscopy, including stopped flow optical spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, and anaerobic protein purification.

What’s Next for Graduates of the Elliott Group?

Since 2002, 14 graduate students have completed their Ph.D. dissertations and 9 postdoctoral fellows have completed their training including 2 members of the Postdoctoral Associate Lecturers.

Of those who have completed training, 10 of 23 have pursued academic or postdoctoral positions after leaving the group. Two have gone one to the professoriate. The remainder have pursued careers in the pharmaceutical industry or professional sciences. Former graduate students include:

• Dr. Lindsey Walker, Patent Law Associate, Clark Elbing
• Dr. Evan Judd, Principal Scientist, Oncology Biological Chemistry, Novartis
• Prof. Katie Frato, Associate Professor, Seattle University
• Dr. Kathryn Duffy Bewley, Senior Scientific Researcher, Genentic