Below is my comprehensive CV. A Microsoft Word version is here.

 

 

Scott Anthony Robson

Contact Details Upon Request

EDUCATION

University of Connecticut Health Center , Farmington, CT

Doctor of Philosophy, Biomedical Science; Emphasis: Structural Biology, March 2006

University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Bachelor of Science, with Honors in Biochemistry, December 1995

 

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Harvard University, Harvard Medical School , Boston, MA 2010-Present

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Primary Advisor: Professor Gerhard Wagner

Secondary Advisor: Professor Christopher T. Walsh

Performed a structural and functional based investigation into the molecular mechanism of the synthesis of the iron chelator and natural product, enterobactin, from Escherichia coli.

- Cloned and purified the relevant proteins of the system (EntB, EntD, EntE and EntF) and domain isolation of the serine adenylation (A) domain from EntF.

- Performed enzyme kinetic analysis of the A domain and mutants and also reconstituted the entire enterobactin synthesis pathway and monitored enterobactin synthesis in the presence of mutants.

- Established the importance of the activator protein YbdZ in isolated A domain activation

- Conducted NMR studies on the structure of isolated EntF A domain and YbdZ.

- Investigated the high molecular weight interaction between the C domain of EntF, the TTE didomain of EntF and full-length EntB (total particle molecular weight of > 100 kDa) by nuclear magnetic resonance.

Development of non-uniform sampling techniques for highly resolved and rapid NMR data acquisition.

- Programmed non-uniform sampling pulse programs for rapid data collection.

- Tested properties of reconstructed non-uniform spectra for sensitivity and resolution improvement and compared reconstructed spectra with regularly acquired spectra.

- Production of a web site with examples and tutorials for performing non-uniform sampling and reconstruction of NMR data for the general research community.

University of California, Los Angeles , Los Angeles, CA 2006-2010

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Advisor: Professor Robert T. Clubb

Structure and function studies of the cell surface attachment protein, Sortase C (SrtC), from Bacillus anthracis.

- Determined a high resolution solution structure of SrtC (a novel Sortase from Family D sortases) using NMR

- Performed extensive dynamics analysis of SrtC by NMR, demonstrating a rigid binding pocket for substrate binding and weak aggregation behavior.

- Developed a FRET based enzyme assay to test activity using fluorescent protein tags.

Protein-Protein and Heme-Protein interactions in Staphylococcus aureus iron acquisition.

- Developed methodology to determine small molecule on/off rate interactions with protein that circumvented problems with degenerate signals in NMR spectra.

- Contributed to the characterization of transient protein-protein interactions within the system (K_d ~micro- to millimolar range)

Engineering of a cellulose-digesting Bacillus subtilis strain.

- Developed and subsequently mentored the design of a heterologous cellulose-degrading complex from Clostridium thermocellum for cell-surface display on Bacillus subtilis.

University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 1999-2006

Graduate Student

Advisor: Professor Glenn F. King

Structural analysis of three core proteins from the Bacillus subtilis and Geobacillus stearothermophilus divisome.

- Performed interaction studies of two natively unfolded proteins necessary for cell division in these bacteria. Studies utilized circular dichroism (CD), ion exchange chromatography, multi-angle laser-light scattering (MALLS) and NMR as biophysical probes of interaction.

- Determined the domain architecture of a previously uncharacterized class of cell division proteins (FtsQ/DivIB) by limited trypsin proteolysis and fragment identification via MALDI-TOF MS and N-terminal Edman sequencing.

- Determined the solution structure of the beta domain of G. stearothermophilus DivIB and established the importance of the gamma domain via in vivo mutational analysis in B. subtilis.

LABORATORY SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES

Biophysics/Biochemistry Expertise:

- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance: Protein structure determination, protein dynamics analysis, protein-protein and protein-small molecule interactions and methods development in advanced data acquisition techniques.

- Circular Dichroism: Secondary structure determination, protein thermal stability and protein-protein interactions.

- Multi-angle Laser-light scattering (MALLS): Determination of protein aggregation behaviors and protein-protein interaction analysis.

- MALDI-TOF MS: Testing of protein expressions for purity and construct accuracy as well as accuracy of mutations.

- FRET: Fluorescent protein pairs used as a FRET pair in enzyme assays of proteolysis.

- Enzyme Kinetics: Radioactive and UV/VIS assays for the determination of K_m/k_cat variables in an adenylation assay.

Protein Cloning and Purification:

- Broad cloning, mutation and gene assembly experience using various techniques.

- Extensive protein expression experience, including problem solving difficult expressions due to insolubility, poor expression and degradation.

- Wide-ranging protein purification skills including affinity, gel filtration, ion exchange, and reverse-phase HPLC.

Other Bench Skills:

- Experience with genetic manipulation of Bacillus subtilis as both an experimental organism and as an engineering platform for the expression of heterologous enzymes on its surface.

- Small molecule synthesis and purification experience.

Data Analysis and Computer Skills:

- Demonstrated experience with complex data analysis including developing data fitting protocols using Mathematica and R programming languages and a familiarity with MatLab.

- Extensive knowledge in using the Linux/Unix and Mac OSX operating systems.

- A working knowledge of programming in Perl/C/Objective-C and shell scripting languages.

- Experience with Microsoft Office, Apple iWorks and Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

Mentoring/Teaching:

- Supervised high school and undergraduate students in laboratory work.

- Provided teaching and support for the dissemination of advanced NMR data acquisition techniques to laboratories worldwide.

- Co-taught an "Intro to Structural Biology" class for graduate students in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCLA. Lectures included topics on heteronuclear and triple-resonance NMR and structure determination of proteins. Practical component included a lab where students had hands-on experience with analyzing real NMR data.

Publications

Submitted/Accepted/In Press:

Hyberts, S. G.*, Arthanari, H.*, Robson, S. A.*, Wagner, G. (2013) Perspectives in Magnetic Resonance: NMR in the Post-FFT Era. J. Magn. Reson. Accepted Nov. 2013. *Equal contribution

Published:

Spirig, T., Malmirchegini, G.R., Zhang, J., Robson, S.A., Sjodt, M., Liu, M., Kumar, K.K., Dickson, C. F., Gell, D. A., Lei, B., Loo, J.A., Clubb, R. T. (2013) Staphylococcus aureus uses a novel multidomain receptor to break apart human hemoglobin and steal its heme. J. Biol. Chem. 288 (2), 1065-1078

Hyberts, S.G., Robson, S. A., Wagner, G. (2012) Exploring signal-to-noise ratio and sensitivity in non-uniformly sampled multi-dimensional NMR spectra. J. Biomol. NMR 55 (2), 167-178

Wommack, A. J., Robson, S. A., Wanniarachchi, Y. A., Wan, A., Turner, C. J., Wagner, G., Nolan, E. M. (2012) NMR Solution Structure and Condition-Dependent Oligomerization of the Antimicrobial Peptide Human Defensin 5. Biochemistry. 51 (48), 9624–9637

Robson, S.A. , Jacobitz, A.W., Philips, M.L., Clubb, R.T. (2012) Solution Structure of the Sortase Required for Efficient Production of Infectious Bacillus anthracis Spores. Biochemistry 51(40), 7953-63

Villareal, V.A., Spirig, T., Robson, S.A., Liu, M., Lei, B., Clubb, R.T. (2011) Transient weak protein-protein complexes transfer heme across the cell wall of Staphylococcus aureus. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133, 14176-9

Anderson, T.D., Robson, S.A., Jiang, X.W., Malmirchegini, G.R., Fierobe, H.P., Lazazzera, B.A., Clubb, R.T. (2011) Assembly of minicellulosomes on the surface of Bacillus subtilis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 77 4849-58

Rowland, S.L,, Wadsworth, K.D., Robson, S.A., Robichon, C., Beckwith, J., King, G.F. (2010) Evidence from artificial septal targeting and site-directed mutagenesis that residues in the extracytoplasmic β domain of DivIB mediate its interaction with the divisomal transpeptidase PBP 2B. J Bacteriol. 192, 6116-25.

Weiner, E. M., Robson, S., Marohn, M., Clubb, R. T. (2010) The Sortase A Enzyme That Attaches Proteins to the Cell Wall of Bacillus anthracis Contains an Unusual Active Site Architecture. J. Biol. Chem. 285 (30), 23433-23443.

Robson, S.A . , Peterson, R.,Bouchard, L.S., Villareal, V.A., Clubb, R.T. (2010) A heteronuclear zero quantum coherence Nz-exchange experiment that resolves resonance overlap and its application to measure the rates of heme binding to the IsdC protein. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132, 9522-3.

Pilpa, R.M.*, Robson, S.A.*, Villareal, V.A., Wong, M.L., Phillips, M. and Clubb, R.T. (2009) Functionally distinct NEAT (NEAr Transporter) domains within the Staphylococcus aureus IsdH/HarA protein extract heme from methemoglobin. J. Biol. Chem. 284, 1166-1176. *Equal contribution

Villareal, V.A., Pilpa, R.M., Robson, S.A., Fadeev, E.A. and Clubb, R.T. (2008) The IsdC protein from Staphylococcus aureus uses a flexible binding pocket to capture heme. J. Biol. Chem. 283, 31591-31600

Gorbatyuk, V.Y., Nosworthy, N.J., Robson, S.A., Bains, N.P., Maciejewski, M.W., Dos Remedios, C.G., King, G.F. (2006). Mapping the phosphoinositide-binging site on chick cofilin explains how PIP2 regulates the cofilin-actin interaction. Mol. Cell. 24, 511-522.

Robson, S.A. , and King, G.F. (2006) Domain architecture and structure of the bacterial cell division protein DivIB. PNAS 103, 6700-5.

Robson, S.A. , and King, G.F. (2005) Backbone and side-chain ¹H, ¹⁵N, and ¹³C assignments for the minor cis conformer of the b domain of the bacterial cell division protein DivIB. J. Biomol. NMR 33, 135.

Robson S.A. , Gorbatyuk V.Y., Maciejewski M.W., King G.F. (2005) Backbone and side-chain ¹H, ¹⁵N, and ¹³C assignments for the beta domain of the bacterial cell division protein DivIB. J. Biomol. NMR 31, 261-262.

Robson S.A. , Michie K.A., Mackay J.P., Harry E., King G.F. (2002) The Bacillus subtilis cell division proteins FtsL and DivIC are intrinsically unstable and do not interact with one another in the absence of other septasomal components. Mol. Microbiol. 44, 663-74.

Bains, N.P.S., Gorbatyuk, V.Y., Nosworthy, N.J., Robson, S.A., Maciejewski, M.W., dos Remedios, C.G., and King, G.F. (2002) Backbone and sidechain ¹H, ¹⁵N, and ¹³C assignments for chick cofilin reveal an error in the reported sequence. J. Biomol. NMR 22, 193-194.

Blair D.H., Robson S., King G., Bennett M.R. (2001) Vesicle-associated proteins and transmitter release from sympathetic ganglionic boutons. Neuroreport. 12, 607-10.

AWARDS

Edward G. Henderson Memorial Prize for outstanding Ph.D. thesis in 2006 Biomedical Science at The University of Connecticut Health Center

ISMAR 2004 Conference winner of "Best Poster in Solution State NMR" 2004