Hi, my name is Siobhan Deis. I grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, and attended Cathedral High School. I then moved to the tiny town of Greencastle, Indiana, to attend DePauw University, where I received my B.A. in Biochemistry. While at DePauw, I had the opportunity to study abroad for a semester in Cork, Ireland. I absolutely loved Ireland and was grateful to be able to experience my ancestors’ culture. My amazing academic and research experiences at DePauw led me to pursue graduate school. I started in the Biochemistry Ph.D. program at IU in August 2011 and joined the Dann lab by the end of December.
I am continuing the lab’s work on interactions between novel antifolates and their target proteins. I recently set up E. coli expression systems for GAR and AICAR Transformylases, which transfer a formyl group from formyl-tetrahydrafolate to their substrates during de novo purine synthesis. Therefore, the inhibition of these proteins by antifolates leads to cancer cell death (healthy cells rely on salvage purine synthesis). However, the antifolates we focus on have a dual-specificity so that they are transported via folate receptors that are unique to cancer cells. Therefore, specificity for both the transformylases and folate receptors is key to our research. I will study the protein and antifolate interactions via crystallization and biochemical binding studies. Our collaborators will be able to use my characterization to design more effective and specific antifolates.
The College of Arts