Volume 9, Issue 4 | Fall 2024

Science Feature

Spotlight on Our S10-Supported NMR Resource

As we highlight the major discoveries from the Department of Biophysics at MCW, it is also important to feature the technologies that enable them. In this issue of our newsletter, we feature the 700 MHz Bruker Avance NEO nuclear magnetic spectrometer (NMR) spectrometer that was installed in the department in February 2023. Acquisition of this state-of-the-art instrument was made possible by a High End Shared Instrumentation grant from the National Institutes of Health (S10 OD028716; PI: Marassi). The spectrometer is located in a dedicated laboratory on the second floor of the MACC Fund Research Building (Fig. 1).

Elucidating the structure and interactions of proteins in their native environment is a fundamental goal of structural biology. The enhanced sensitivity of the new 700 MHz NMR spectrometer allows us to analyze native biological samples, including cells and cellular components. Working with the new spectrometer, Drs. Nick Wood, Gopinath Tata, Kyungsoo Shin, and Francesca Marassi developed a platform for NMR structural analysis of the salmonella cell surface protein PagC in native bacterial outer membrane vesicles—spherical structures that play fundamental roles in microbe-host interactions, interbacterial killing, biofilm formation, virulence, toxin delivery, and immune evasion, and also provide attractive platforms for vaccine development and drug delivery. The NMR data reveal a novel mechanism for the way PagC promotes microbial vesiculation through pH-dependent interactions of its extracellular loops, and introduce a new perspective on how bacteria sense and respond to environmental pH.

Figure 1. Pictured left to right, Kyungsoo Shin, assistant professor; Nick Wood, postdoc; Rana Mansour, MSTP student; and Gopinath Tata, assistant professor, work on the NMR spectrometer.

Graduate Student Q&A

Learn about the students in our Biophysics Graduate Program.

Casey Zoss

Program: Medical Scientist Training Program, Biophysics
Mentors: Kathleen Schmainda, PhD, and Christopher Chitambar, MD
Year Entered MCW: 2020

Background: I grew up in rural South Dakota, near Mitchell—the birthplace of Jim Hyde and home of the world’s only Corn Palace! I then ventured into Iowa for my undergraduate studies at Briar Cliff University, where I majored in biochemistry and mathematics, aspiring to attend medical school.

My research experiences at Briar Cliff and Sanford Research fueled my decision to pursue a combined MD/PhD degree. I moved to Milwaukee to begin medical school in 2020, and, after exploring various laboratory rotations, I joined the Schmainda lab to begin graduate training in 2022.

Research Interests: I’m part of a multidisciplinary research team focusing on glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer with few treatment options and no cure. Those in Biophysics will be familiar with my mentor, Dr. Schmainda. She has been a prolific contributor to development of MRI technology and analysis methods to improve glioblastoma diagnosis and treatment monitoring. My co-mentor, Dr. Chitambar, has a rich background in the Departments of Medicine and Biophysics. His research has explored how iron fuels cancer growth and how gallium compounds can disrupt this process. We are studying gallium maltolate, which shows promise in treating glioblastoma and is currently in a Phase I clinical trial. Under Dr. Chitambar’s mentorship, we are investigating gallium maltolate’s mechanisms at the cellular level, hoping to better understand what makes cells sensitive/resistant to gallium maltolate. With Dr. Schmainda’s expertise in MRI, we’re also exploring imaging biomarkers that could help predict clinical responses to gallium maltolate in glioblastoma patients.

Future Plans: After completing my PhD, I’ll return to the medical school curriculum to finish up the MD. After that will be a clinical residency in a specialty yet to be determined (possibly medical oncology). I envision a career as a physician/scientist, blending direct patient care with translational research. I’m particularly excited about my involvement in clinical trials, and I hope to continue working on the development and administration of trials throughout my career.

Fun Fact: My all-time favorite dessert is cannoli, and the best I’ve found in Milwaukee is from Peter Sciortino Bakery.

Biophysics Alumni: Where Are They Now?

Katarzyna A. Broniowska, PhD, MSc

Title: Senior Director of Research, Life Biosciences
Year Graduated MCW: 2008
Mentor: Neil Hogg, PhD

Zhen Ding, PhD

Title: Clinical Research Coordinator, Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Year Graduated MCW: 2013
Mentor: Neil Hogg, PhD

Michael Larson, MD, PhD

Title: Assistant Professor of Radiology, UC Davis Health
Year Graduated MCW: 2014 (PhD), 2015 (MD)
Mentor: Neil Hogg, PhD

Netanya Y. Spencer, MD, PhD

Title: Manager Medical Writing, Pfizer
Year Graduated MCW: 2003 (PhD), 2005 (MD)
Mentor: Neil Hogg, PhD

Seminar Series

Our Fall 2024 Biophysics Seminar Series takes place most Fridays throughout the semester, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., in MFRC 2063 (except as otherwise noted). For details, please visit the Biophysics Events page.

Sept. 6 | Ryan Ronate (MCW)
Quantitative MRI Responses to Radiation Therapy in Head and Neck Cancer

Sept. 20 | Michael Lerch, PhD (MCW)
EPR Studies of Signaling Selectivity in the β2 Adrenergic Receptor

Sept. 27 | Mohammed Kaplan, PhD (UChicago)
In Situ Structural Biology Using CryoElectron Tomography

Oct. 4 | Shankar Subramaniam, PhD (UCSD)
How Is the Human Brain Reprogrammed in Alzheimer’s Disease?

Oct. 11 | Max Krucoff, MD, FAANS, FACS (MCW)
Network Neuroplasticity in Brain Tumor Surgery

Oct. 18 | Jieqing Zhu, PhD (Versiti)
Multi-Scale Understanding of Integrin Function as a Protein Machine

Oct. 25 | Antje Kroner-Milsch, MD, PhD (MCW)
Intraparenchymal Hemorrhage After Spinal Cord Injury: Triggers, Targets and Translation

Nov. 1 | Emily Jacobs, PhD (UCSB)
The New Science of Women’s Brain Health
[Note: Seminar via Zoom only]

Nov. 8 | Bryna Goeckner (MCW)
Associations of Concussion with Neuroimaging and Clinical Measures and the Roles of Hormones and Hormonal Contraception Use in Female Athletes and Cadets

Nov. 15 | Casey Zoss (MCW)
Gallium Maltolate for Treatment of Glioblastoma: Bench to Bedside and Back Again

Nov. 22 | Jan Rainey, PhD (Dal University)
Untangling Molecular-Level and Nanoscale Contributions to Spider Silk Mechanics

Dec. 6 | Jason Sidabras, PhD (MCW)
Magnetic Resonance Innovations Across Scales

Dec. 13 | Aleksandra Winiarz (MCW)
Clinical Applications of RadioPathomic Maps of Glioma Presence

Department News

Welcome

Swapna Bera, PhD (postdoc, Marassi lab)
Kesaban Sankar Roy Choudhuri, PhD (postdoc, Leone lab)
Tyler Gallun (graduate student, Mickevicius lab)
Somayeh Najafi Hamedani (graduate student, Paulson lab)
Alex Skitowski (gradate student, Gross lab)
Judy Weiss (interim department administrator)

Farwell

Cathy Marszalkowski (clinical research coordinator II, Schmainda lab)
Christine Zeller (department administrator)

Congratulations

Jimmy Feix published an article in Applied Magnetic Resonance.
Kyle A. Johnson (advisor: Jason W. Sidabras, PhD) successfully defended his dissertation, titled Advancing Pre-Clinical Multi-Echo fMRI with Inductively Coupled Surface Coils, to earn his PhD.
Balaraman Kalyanaraman & Gang Cheng published an article in Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
Francesca Marassi received an administrative supplement to her R35 to purchase a Cytiva AKTA pure T chromatography system.
Fabrizio Marinelli joined the editorial board of eLife.
Recent Biophysics graduate Samuel Bobholz became an assistant professor in the MCW Department of Radiology.
Kathleen Schmainda published an article in Radiology: Artificial Intelligence.
Gopinath Tata & Francesca Marassi published an article in Nature Communications.
Casey Zoss received the Kayoko Ishizuka Award for Presentation at International Conferences.

Kyle Johnson (left) and his advisor Jason Sidabras (right) celebrating receipt of his PhD.

Featured Pet

Pet Names: Milo
Age: 10 years—time sure flies!
Likes: Has a love for cucumbers and bananas, giant sticks from the tree, and chasing squirrels in the yard
Dislikes: Rain—will not go outside during a storm!
Breed: American Pit Bull
Origin Story: I have always had a pet growing up and wanted to get a dog when I first moved to Milwaukee 10 years ago. I was scrolling through Craigslist and saw an ad selling some cute puppies. I managed to convince my boyfriend, Lowein, to allow me to adopt one. The rest is history! Milo has been with us through the good and bad times, always willing to snuggle our problems away. I am forever grateful that he chose us as much as we chose him.
Guardian: Alyssa Kraft

Biophysics News is a quarterly MCW departmental newsletter aimed at enhancing departmental engagement through information and good news sharing. Do you have information you’d like to share—news, events, photos, a photo of your pet? Send it to Lydia.

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