We’re happy to share lots of great news from the Baker Group in November 2015.

• JLB gave invited seminars at the Monmouth University Department of Chemistry and Physics (thanks to Dr. Dmytro Kosenkov for the invitation!), and in the TCNJ Department of Physics (thanks to Dr. David McGee for the invitation!) on biomolecular simulation.
• Baker lab members Aleena Andrews and Troy Brier were accepted to the GOLEAD program at University of Delaware, which focused on graduate opportunities in the biochemical sciences. Congratulations!
• TCNJ sophomore Rebecca Goncalves will be joining the Baker lab in Spring 2016! Welcome to the group!!

JLB published a paper in the Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling titled “Influence of the ionic liquid [C4mpy][Tf2n] on the structure of the miniprotein Trp-cage” with Northern Arizona University collaborator Dr. Gerrick Lindberg and TCNJ undergraduate Jeffrey Furbish.

Aleena Andrews and Troy Brier presented their summer research at the Fall TCNJ MUSE poster session. Great job!

TCNJ summer MUSE research has begun in the Baker lab. Aleena Andrews, Troy Brier, and Rebeca Castro are working on projects related to type IV pilin proteins, and membrane/ionic liquid interactions this summer. Looking forward to a productive and fun summer!

TCNJ seniors and Baker Group researchers Mark Norbury (B.S. Chemistry) and Jeffrey Furbish (B.S. Biology) graduated. Congratulations!!!

This year, rising Juniors Aleena Andrews and Troy Brier were awarded TCNJ MUSE summer research awards for summer 2015 to work in the Baker lab. Additionally, Rebeca Saldanha Castro, a student in the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program, will be working in the Baker lab to study the influence of ionic liquids on bacterial membranes.

JLB gave an invited seminar on biomolecular simulation at Northern Arizona University for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry’s seminar series. Thanks to Baker Group collaborator, Dr. Gerrick Lindberg, at NAU for the invitation!

JLB presented work on the influence of formin FH2 domain binding on the dynamics of actin filaments at the Annual Biophysical Society Meeting.

The Baker Group welcomes…

• TCNJ Sophomores Aleena Andrews and Troy Brier, who will be working on simulations of bacterial motor proteins and pilin subunits
• TCNJ Juniors Susan Knox and Maria Minor who will work on simulations of small peptide structures, and Heba Jafri who will study bacterial adhesin proteins
• TCNJ Senior Jeffrey Furbish who will study the structure and dynamics of Trp-cage protein in an ionic liquid

Computers have been installed in the laboratory, and benchmarking tests are starting. Thanks to Mark Norbury for helping to get the lab off the ground!