Postdoctoral Research At Texas A&M University: Professor Kevin Burgess
A. Postdoctoral Opening
We currently have openings for postdoctoral associates skilled in biophysical assays like the ones mentioned above. Interested researchers should please email a cv with a complete list of publications, a list of three referees, and a brief letter describing expertise they have that is relevant to those biophysical assays.
Email to burgess@tamu.edu and cc to the group assistant Andrea: ascott@chem.tamu.edu.
B. Burgess Group
Research Direction
Dr. Burgess has a diversity of interests, but currently, his research focuses on small molecules interacting with protein surfaces. Half his group studies the rational design of small molecules to interfere with protein-protein interactions. In contrast, the other researches small molecules that bind certain cell surface receptors hence can be used as preclinical imaging and therapeutic agents.
He introduced the concept of universal peptidomimetics and developed from that a suite of techniques based on Exploring Key Orientations, a new approach for the design of small molecules to perturb protein-protein interactions that involves mining the protein databank. Discoveries emerging from this led him to establish the company Small Molecule PPI Mimics LLC based on this technology. Dr. Burgess has designed small molecules for the active targeting of cancer cells particularly via the TrkC receptor; and potential applications of this work are in diagnostics, imaging, and therapeutics. The molecule D3 he designed to bind the TrkA receptor is now in phase III clinical trials for the treatment of dry-eye disease. Burgess has re-energized interest in finding antagonists of TrkA – C in the context of disease of the eye. Overall, much of Burgess work involves fluorescent dyes. The Burgess Group has published extensively on BODIPYs, and currently, they are vigorously investigating the mode of action and applications of tumor-seeking cyanine dyes.
Burgess Group Home Page: here.
Group Character
Burgess’ co-workers learn a wide range of techniques. These include organic syntheses in solution and on solid supports, combinatorial chemistry, spectroscopic determination of preferred conformational states, cell studies and tissue culture (BSL-2), biophysical assays (FACS, ELISA, fluorescence polarization, ITC, SPR, blotting), intracellular imaging (static and dynamic confocal techniques), computational techniques (modeling, bioinformatics, and, currently, a little machine learning). We are particularly interested in recruiting a co-worker with hands-on experience with mouse models, but this is not essential. Teamwork, collaboration, and teaching practical expertise are what we are searching for most.