CHED 868 |
| The main goal of the research is to understand the biochemical behavior and biological outcome of diverse quinones and hydroquinones which are known to be the cellular metabolites of benzene and substituted benzenes. Benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons impose risks to human health, some identified and some uncertain. These compounds emerge as public hazard via continuous accumulation in living organisms and general environment. Several studies suggest that the quinones/hydroquinones are involved in causing toxic abnormal cell behavior through protein modifications, oxidative damage, lipid modifications, and/or nucleic acid modifications. However, many details regarding their activities and their fate in biological systems are not clearly understood. In this context, our lab is studying the biological effect(s) of the benzene and substituted benzene metabolite family focused on RNase modification induced by 1,4-benzoquinone and 1,4-hydroquinone as a model system. Our lab is trying to elucidate if the target protein modification occurs via alkylation or oxidative damage caused by 1,4-benzoquinone and/or 1,4-hydroquinone. For the study, various analytical techniques such as SDS-PAGE, fluorescence spectroscopy, and UV-VIS spectroscopy are utilized in order to understand protein modification mechanisms. |
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Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Biochemistry
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster
Division of Chemical Education |