Stewart Research Group Home Page

    Stewart Research Group
    Department of Chemistry, University of Florida
    Combining chemistry and biology since 1994

Recent Events

Welcome and cogratulations to Josh Hurwitz, who joined the group as a 2009 Beckman Scholar

Congratulations to Adam Rothman, who was named a 2009 University Scholar

Recent Publications

Site Saturation Mutagenesis of Tryptophan 116 of Saccharomyces pastorianus Old Yellow Enzyme Uncovers Stereocomplementary Variants. S.K. Padhi, D.J. Bougiokou and J.D. Stewart, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 3271-3280.

Characterization of an Autonomously Activated Plant Adenosine Diphosphate Glucose Pyrophosphorylase. S.K. Boehlein, J.R. Shaw, J.D. Stewart and L.C. Hannah, Plant Physiol. 2009, 149, 318-326.

Jon D. Stewart Professor, Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering Mailing Address: 126 Sisler Hall University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611 *Office* 102 Leigh Hall *Office Phone* (352) 846-0743 *Lab Phone* (352) 846-0989 *Fax* (352) 846-0743 *E-mail* jds2@chem.ufl.edu	Ph.D., 1991, Cornell University; B.S., M.S. 1986, 1987, Bucknell University
Current Group News No group meeting next week (August 17). We will start as usual on the 24^th.
Current Research Projects Our research takes place where chemistry, biology and nanotechnology meet. It is highly interdisciplinary work and we collaborate with many other research groups. 1. Enzymes as practical catalysts for organic synthesis. We are developing methods to employ cofactor-dependent enzymes in stereoselective synthesis. We have successfully completed biocatalytic routes to several natural products and continue to expand our synthetic toolbox. Learn more... 2. Smart, self-disassembling nanostructures for drug delivery. In collaboration with research teams in the Department of Chemistry (Martin) and Anesthesiology (Dennis, Melker and Rogers), we have prepared and covalently capped hollow nano test tubes with nano corks. We are now learning how to load and target these structures, then uncap them so that their cargo can be released inside cells. Learn more... 3. Understanding a key enzyme in starch biosynthesis. The economic value of many crops such as corn is directly related to starch content. In collaboration with a group in Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology (Hannah), we are learning how catalysis in this four-subunit enzyme is carried out and regulated in response to cellular conditions. Learn more... If you were looking for the host of The Daily Show and landed here by mistake, this is the "other" Jon Stewart. Apart from his being younger, better looking and much wealthier, even our mothers have a hard time telling the two of us apart.