Kevin D
- Research Program Mentor
PhD at Princeton University
Expertise
Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Structural Biology, Microbiology, Virology
Bio
Hi, my name is Kevin and I am a Postdoctoral Associate in the Rutgers University Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine (CABM). I've been interested in science since I was a little kid, and have always been interested in the smallest parts of biology- the molecules and atoms that make us into living beings. In college, I joined a research lab that studied virus proteins, and used those experiences to get a a job as a researcher and lab manager in a biochemistry/structure biology lab at The University of Pennsylvania after graduation. After a few years of working in research full time, I started my PhD Princeton, where I joined another structure biology lab; one that focused on intracellular trafficking. At Rutgers, my focus has been on helping others integrate structural biology- namely, cryoelectron microscopy or Cryo-EM, into their research projects. My group at CABM focuses primarily on RNA viruses, such as HIV and SARS-CoV-2. Along the way, I've found myself time and again in a position to try to help others get to where they would like to be as well. I spent the latter years of my undergrad working at my school's writing center, helping students of all ages with their writing process, and took the lead on developing a support system for science writing. Through the writing center I served as a TA for several courses on early-college writing, and was able to TA again at Princeton for their introduction to molecular biology and biochemistry courses. I absolutely want to continue to find opportunities to help mentor, teach, and train as I continue through my career in the sciences.Project ideas
Evolution of Cellular Organization
Historically, the original cells to exist were almost certainly "prokaryotic": they were small in size, contained circular genomes, and very likely no intracellular compartments. Cells like this still exist today in the form of bacteria like E. coli and S. typhimurium (salmonella), but humans, animals, and plants are made of cells that look rather different. These "eukaryotic" cells are made of much more complex membranes, have genomes organized into chromosomes, and have become compartmentalized. How did we get from point A to point B? "Why" did we go from A to B? Evolution on a cellular level isn't even the smallest frontier, as proteins adapt how they function as well over the course of millions of years. How do changes to a cell affect changes to a protein, and vice versa?
The Ripple Effect of Mutations
Each protein is a delicate machine that has evolved to work in a certain fashion; much like a car, every "part" needs to be present, properly aligned, and properly constructed. Changes to the blueprint (ie, mutations to the DNA that encode a protein) may leave the protein nonfunctional. Many diseases, including Huntington's, Cystic Fibrosis, and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy find their roots in genetic mutations. Oftentimes, we merely assess the physical symptoms when analyzing a disease, such as reduced muscle mass, loss of movement, etc. but in reality, the way that a mutation causes these symptoms involves a domino effect of one improper protein affecting the role of another, and another, and another. Connecting the dots from one mutation on a protein all the way to the symptomatic level requires an in-depth exploration of the functions of the proteins and systems that are affected, and provides insight into the delicate balance required to maintain a healthy organism.