Lars Konermann
Professor
Ph.D. (Max Planck Institute, Univ. of Düsseldorf, Germany)
Office and Lab: BGS 2016
Phone (Office): (519) 661-2111 ext. 86313
Phone (Lab): (519) 661-2111 ext. 86667
Protein Mass Spectrometry. Biophysical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
Awards:
• Premier's Research Excellence Award
• Fred Beamish Award of the Canadian Society for Chemistry
• USC Teaching Honour Roll Award of Excellence
• Faculty of Science Award of Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2005)
• Florence Bucke Science Prize (2011)
• University
Students' Council Award of Excellence in Undergraduate
Teaching (2012)
Current Research Programs:
Our group is interested in exploring the folding mechanisms of proteins, their conformational dynamics,
and their interactions with other molecules. We specialize in the development and application of novel
electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) techniques for this purpose. This research bridges the areas of
biophysics, biochemistry, and analytical chemistry.
The question how and why a highly disordered protein chain can spontaneously refold into its native structure
remains one of the major unsolved problems in biophysical chemistry. Research in this area is of fundamental
importance for understanding the factors responsible for protein folding-related diseases such as Alzheimer's
and BSE.
Mass spectrometry in conjunction with rapid mixing techniques allows the detection and characterization of
short-lived intermediates, thereby providing important insights into the mechanisms by which proteins fold
and assemble into quaternary structures. The information from these experiments is complementary to that
obtained by optical and NMR spectroscopy.
Other research directions pursued in our laboratory include studies on protein-ligand binding and enzymatic
reaction mechanisms.
Selected Publications:
"Temporal Development of Protein Structure During S100A11 Folding and Dimerization Probed by Oxidative Labeling and Mass Spectrometry" B. B. Stocks, A. Rezvanpour, G. S. Shaw, and L. Konermann J. Mol. Biol. 409, 669-679 (2011).
"Hydrogen Exchange Mass Spectrometry of Bacteriorhodopsin Reveals Light-Induced Changes in the Structural Dynamics of a Biomolecular Machine" Y. Pan, L. Brown, and L. Konermann J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133, 20237–20244 (2011).
"Ejection of Solvated Ions from Electrosprayed Methanol/Water Nanodroplets Studied by Molecular Dynamics Simulations" E. Ahadi and L. Konermann J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133, 9354–9363 (2011).
"Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry with Top-Down Electron Capture Dissociation for Characterizing Structural Transitions of a 17 kDa Protein" J. Pan, J. Han, C. H. Borchers, and L. Konermann J. Am. Chem. Soc. 131, 12801–12808 (2009).
