Brenda Judith Ramos Santana
Graduate Student
Department of Chemistry
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
Rooms: Q-112, Q-114, Q-116
P.O. Box 9019
Mayagüez, PR 00680 

Phone: (787) 832-4040 x2466
E-mail: brs16854@uprm.edu

Resume

Education
B.S. Chemistry
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, 1999

M.S. Chemistry
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, 2003

ResearchDescription

The natural designs of hemoproteins establish a central target related to bind a specific ligand essential to perform their function in biological systems.  The human hemoglobin, for instance, is responsible to bind and transport oxygen through of principal organ in human body.  My work focuses on determines the structure and function relationships that can exhibit globin proteins with heme group in the active site using monomeric invertebrate hemoglobin as a model.  Many biophysical studies have been performed that establish significant understanding in the reactivity of invertebrate heme proteins systems.  However, the stabilization mechanism of the ligand binds still uncertain particularly for the physiological unknown hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) ligand.  

Currently, I am working with a hemoprotein system from the clam Lucina pectinata that is capable to bind and transport H₂S under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.  The sulfide is oxidized by chemoautotrophic symbiotic bacteria that fix carbon dioxide into nutrients and supply these to the invertebrate host L. pectinata.  Structural recognition of this unique invertebrate hemoglobin I (HbI) is approached by Site-directed Mutagenesis and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.  The scope of my research focus in three specific aims: (1) to characterize heme pocket of the recombinant HbI (rHbI) and variants in H₂S and cyanide (CN^-) complexes under solution conditions, (2) to determine the influence of the heme peripheral groups, such as propionate and vinyl, in the dynamic features of the rHbI and variants upon H₂S and CN^-  binding, and (3) to determine the contribution of distal residues in the stabilization mechanism that controls the binding process in the heme pocket.  Characterization of the heme by sequence-specific resonance assignment strategies reveals constraints related to the heme pocket conformations.  By measuring dipolar contact through Nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) and hydrogen exchange analysis, I attempt to suggest models that clarify the interactions of distal amino acids with the HbI-H₂S and HbI-CN moieties.  Structure-function relationship understanding would have a strong contribution to a future development of biosensors and the actual blood-substitute design.

Publications

“A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Investigation of the influence of Distal GlnE7 on structural properties of Lucina pectinata Hemoglobin I”
Graduate Published Thesis, MS Degree May 2003

Technical Conferences

- Second Colloquium in Protein Structure, Function and Dynamics, Caribe Hilton Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, February, 15-12, 2003
- XXIX American Chemical Society (ACS) Senior Technical Meeting, Parador Villa Parguera, Lajas, Puerto Rico, November 4, 2005

- 231^st American Chemical Society (ACS) Meeting & Exposition, Atlanta, Georgia, March 26-30, 2006

- 47^th Experimental Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Conference (ENC), The Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove, California, April 23-28, 2006

- XIV International Conference on Dioxygen Binding and Sensing Protein (O₂Bip), Stazione Zoologica Dohrn, Naples, Italy, September, 3-7, 2006

- XXX Senior Technical Meeting of the ACS & 13^th Chemical Engineering Symposium, First Congress Advances in Chemical Sciences and Engineering in Puerto              Rico, Embassy Suites Dorado del Mar Beach and Golf Resort, Dorado, Puerto Rico, November 3-4, 2006

Participation in CNY-PR AGEP

Local events

- CNY-PR AGEP Lunch Meeting, Best Western Resort Hotel, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, September 2004

- CNY-PR AGEP Welcome Activity, Chemical Engineering Building, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez Campus, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, September 05, 2005
- CNY-PR AGEP Met, Biology Building, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez Campus, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, May 2006

- CNY-PR AGEP Graduate Student Final Activity, Physical Building, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez Campus, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, November 27, 2006

Technical Conferences supported by AGEP
- 231^st American Chemical Society (ACS) Meeting & Exposition, Atlanta, Georgia, March 26-30, 2006

- 47^th Experimental Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Conference (ENC), The Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove, California, April 23-28, 2006

- XIV International Conference on Dioxygen Binding and Sensing Protein (O₂Bip), Stazione Zoologica Dohrn, Naples, Italy, September 3-7, 2006

Fellows/Mentors Meetings attended
- CNY-PR AGEP, Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM), Fellows-Mentors Meeting, Syracuse, New York, June 16-18, 2005
- CNY-PR AGEP, Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM), Fellows-Mentors Meeting, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, June 15-17, 2006

Other AGEP events attended in or outside Puerto Rico
- Preparing for the Postdoctorate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Summer Institute Howard University-The University of Texas at El Paso, Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate, The National Postdoctoral Association, Washington, DC, August 28-30, 2005

- 12^th Annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, Virginia, October 27-30, 2005

- Joint Graduate School Fair, New York, November 2005