Welcome to the Gelb Research Group

 

Research Interests, History, and Awards

The Gelb group combines chemical and molecular and cellular biochemistry techniques to study enzymatic process of medical importance.

Michael H. Gelb studied chemistry and biochemistry as an undergraduate at the University of California at Davis. His Ph.D. studies with Stephen G. Sligar at Yale University led to a better understanding of the catalytic mechanism of cytochrome P450. As an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of the late Robert H. Abeles at Brandeis University, Gelb studied a variety of mechanism-based inactivators of serine proteases and developed fluorinated ketones as tight-binding inhibitors of several classes of proteases. In 1985 Gelb became a faculty member in the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Washington. Major breakthroughs in the group include the development of methods to properly analyze the action of enzymes on membrane surfaces, the discovery of protein prenylation (farnesylation and geranylgeranylation) in mammalian cells (together with John A. Glomset), and the development of Isotope-Coded Affinity Tags (ICAT reagents) for proteomic applications (together with Ruedi Aebersold). His current research is in the following areas at the interface of chemistry and biology:

  • Structure, function, and regulation of interfacial enzymes including phospholipases A2.
  • Structure-based design and combinatorial chemistry of inhibitors of drug targets from parasites that cause tropical diseases
  • Biochemical studies of protein prenylation
  • Multiplex analysis of enzymes of clinical significance and proteomics by mass spectrometry

 

He is the Harry and Catherine Jaynne Boand Endowed Professor  of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Department of Biochemistry at the University of Washington and is a member of graduate training programs in Biomolecular Structure and Design and in Molecular and Cellular Biology.

Gelb's awards include:

Harry and Catherine Jaynne Boand Endowed Professor of Chemistry (2008-)

National Institutes of Health Merit Award (2007-)

Medicines for Malaria Venture Project of the Year (2003)

Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry, given by the Division of Biological Chemistry of the American Chemical Society (1993)

ICI Pharmaceuticals Award for Excellence in Chemistry (now given by AstraZeneca) (1993)

Alfred P. Sloan Fellow (1990-92)

Merck New Faculty Development Award (1986-90)

American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow (1983-85)

 

Professional Activity:

2002-2006       NIH Physical Biochemistry Study Section Member

2001-2006       Editorial Advisory Board: Journal of Biological Chemistry

2000                Chair, American Chemical Society Div. of Biological Chemistry Nominating Committee

2000                NIH Bioorganic and Natural Products Study Section Member

1996-2000       NIH Biochemistry Study Section Member

1989                NIH Pharmacology Study Section Member

1998-               Editorial Board:  Current Opinion in Chemical Biology

1997                Co-Chair, Gordon Research Conference, Co-Enzymes and Metabolic Pathways

1997                NIH Physical Biochemistry Study Section Member

 

Organizations:

Scientific Advisory Boards:  Genzyme Corp., Cell Therapeutics Corp., Ilypsa Corp.

 

 

Gelb's pastimes include Surfing and playing classical guitar.

Please feel free to contact Professor Gelb if you have any questions about the program or if you want to discuss research areas in more detail.

 

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Last updated 10/12/00