Varun Gadkari

Varun Gadkari
Department of Chemistry
University of Michigan
Host: Professor Michael Bowser

Abstract

Applications of Mass Spectrometry Beyond Mass Measurement: Characterizing Biomolecular Structure in the Gas Phase

Rapid advances in structural biology have enabled the visualization of three- dimensional biomolecular structures yielding valuable insights into biological structure-function relationships. However, due to the stringent sample quantity/quality requirements of current structure elucidation techniques, some essential biomolecular classes have been excluded from characterization. New structural biology techniques are necessary which are capable of analyzing these intractable samples and elucidating their structural properties. In this seminar, I will present my work aimed at developing mass spectrometry-based methods for the characterization of challenging biological targets which elude conventional structural biology. This includes development of specialized instrumentation and methods for gas phase biomolecular measurements, and the application of these approaches to characterize various biologically challenging systems such as neurodegenerative disease-linked amyloidogenic proteins, near-megadalton protein complexes, and nucleic acids. In total, my work highlights the benefits of combining bioanalytical chemistry, chemical biology, and structural biology to characterize otherwise inaccessible biomolecules, and provides a path forward for the investigation of other biological questions in the absence of conventional structural data.

Research

I am a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan developing and applying native mass spectrometry techniques to bridge the gap between biochemistry and analytical chemistry. My long-term goal is to develop mass spectrometry based approaches for the study of degenerative diseases. I earned my Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biochemistry at The Ohio State University where I characterized various DNA replication pathways by biophysical and biochemical techniques. 

Varun Gadkari

Varun Gadkari obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from The Ohio State University in 2012. He then joined the Ohio State Biochemistry Program to pursue his graduate studies in the laboratory of Prof. Zucai Suo, where he used biochemical and biophysical approaches to characterize DNA Replication/Repair proteins. Upon completing his doctorate in biochemistry in 2017, Varun became a postdoctoral research fellow in the laboratory of Prof. Brandon Ruotolo at the University of Michigan where he currently develops native mass spectrometry methods for gas phase structural biology, with a focus on characterizing protein complexes, amyloidogenic proteins, and nucleic acids.