Prof. David MacMillan
Title: Micromapping: A new chemical biology platform for insights into biological mechanisms and disease Intervention.
Bio:
David W. C. MacMillan was born in Bellshill, Scotland, and received his undergraduate degree in chemistry at the University of Glasgow, where he worked with Dr. Ernie Colvin. In 1990, he began his doctoral studies under the direction of Professor Larry Overman at the University of California, Irvine, before undertaking a postdoctoral position with Professor Dave Evans at Harvard University in 1996. He began his independent career at the University of California, Berkeley, in July of 1998 before moving to Caltech in 2000 as the Earle C. Anthony Chair of Organic Chemistry. In 2006, Dave moved to Princeton University as the A. Barton Hepburn Professor of Chemistry. He served as Department Chair from 2010–2015 and is currently the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry. Dave shares the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Benjamin List “for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis.” He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in July 2022. His research interests encompass a wide range of organic chemistry, including the development of new areas in organocatalysis and photoredox catalysis.
Abstract:
This lecture will describe µ-Map, a new photoredox-based approach to microenvironment mapping that provides a powerful means to probe biological pathways at the subcellular level. µ-Map uses a light-driven energy transfer mechanism to activate warheads near localized iridium catalysts, resulting in the selective labeling of neighboring biomolecules within complex intracellular or extracellular environments. µ-Map achieves exceptional spatial resolution without requiring protein crystallization, making it uniquely suited for mapping small-molecule binding sites in native contexts. We will discuss the development of this technology and its application across a range of biological contexts, including intrasynaptic labeling, target identification, interactome mapping of checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-T cells, and chromatin state analysis.
Host: Prof. Tehshik Yoon