KATHERINE J. FRANZ
Assistant Professor
Deptartment of Chemistry

Contact Information
330 Gross Chemical Laboratory
(PH) 919-660-1541
(FX) 919-660-1605
katherine.franz@duke.edu

---

Education

	PhD	Nitric Oxide Reactivity of Manganese, Iron and Cobalt Tropocoronands and Development of Fluorescent Aminotroponiminates for Nitric Oxide Sensing, Inorganic Chemistry, MIT 2000
	BA	Chemistry and French, Wellesley College , 1995

---

Experience

	2003-present	Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Duke University
	2000-2003	NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, MIT

---

Selected Publications

1. ?Structural Origin of the High Affinity of a Chemically Evolved Lanthanide Binding Peptide? Nitz, M.; Sherawat, M.; Franz, K. J.; Peisach, E.; Allen, K. N.; Imperiali, B. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (accepted for publication).
2. ?Lanthanide-Binding Tags as Versatile Protein Coexpression Probes? Franz, K. J.; Nitz, M.; Imperiali, B. ChemBioChem, 2003, 4 , 265?271 .
3. ?Metal-Based NO Sensing by Selective Ligand Dissociation? Franz, K. J.; Singh, N.; Lippard, S. J. Angew. Chemie Int. Ed. 2000, 39 , 2120-2121 .
4. ?NO Disproportionation Reactivity of Fe Tropocoronand Complexes? Franz, K. J.; Lippard, S. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121 , 10504-10512.
5. ?Disproportionation of Nitric Oxide Promoted by a Mn Tropocoronand.? Franz, K. J.; Lippard, S. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120 , 9034-9040.

---

Selected Synergistic Activities

Collaborator: Prof. Dennis Thiele, Duke University.

Graduate and Post-Doctoral Advisors: Graduate: Prof. Stephen J. Lippard, MIT. Postdoctoral: Prof. Barbara Imperiali, MIT.

---

Short Research Interest Description

Research in the Franz group strives to understand the biological interactions between metal ions and sites of post-translational modification. The targets of study, which vary from biomineralization to metallo-neurochemistry, have important implications for human health and disease. The multidisciplinary approach involves solid-phase peptide synthesis, protein engineering, organic and inorganic synthesis of air-sensitive compounds, as well as a host of physical methods including fluorescence, X-ray crystallography, electrochemistry, EPR, and Mössbauer spectroscopy.

---

Research Interest

Biomineralization. Proteins found in mineralizing tissues such as tooth dentin are highly phosphorylated, containing fascinating repeating sequences of acidic residues. We are interested in understanding the interactions that take place directly at the interface between the organic protein layer and the inorganic mineral layer. Synthetic phosphopeptides provide an efficient entry into understanding the molecular details of biomineralization.

Neuromelanin. Neuromelanin is an insoluble, black pigment found in neurons of the substantia nigra region of the brain. This material accumulates progressively with age, and it appears that pigmented neurons are susceptible to cell death in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's. Derived from oxidized dopamine and cysteinyldopamine precursors, this biopolymer contains catecholate functionalities that are prime chelators of iron and other metals. We are developing strategies to synthesize and characterize well-defined model complexes that will be invaluable for deciphering the structure and function of neuromelanin.

alpha-Synuclein. The identifying clinical hallmark of Parkinson's Disease is the presence of proteinaceous deposits called Lewy Bodies that are found in the cytosol of surviving neurons in the substantia nigra. Understanding the circumstances that partition alpha-syn among monomer, protofibril, and fibril is critical to understanding its neurotoxic mechanism. We are particularly interested in the role of metal ions in this process

Back to Faculty Index >