Stewart Research Group Home Page

Stewart Research Group
Department of Chemistry, University of Florida
Home Page

Jon D. Stewart

Professor, Department of Chemistry
Affiliate Professor, Department of Biomedical Enginering
Affiliate Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Editor, Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic

Office: 102 Leigh Hall
Office Phone: 352.846.0743
Office Fax: 352.846.0743
Lab Phone: 352.846.0989
E-mail: jds2@chem.ufl.edu

Research

Our research takes place where chemistry and biology meet. We are interested in protein structure, activity and engineering. Because our projects are highly interdisciplinary, we collaborate with a number of other research groups. Some of our current work is summarized below.

1. Enzymes as practical catalysts for organic synthesis. We use enzymes to reduce alkenes stereoselectively. The goal is to develop reactions that can be applied to the synthesis of valuable organic compounds in both academia and industry. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation and involves protein engineering, X-ray crystallography and organic synthesis. Learn more...

2. Understanding and improving starch biosynthesis in corn. Corn's economic value is largely determined by its starch content. We are collaborating with research groups at U.F., Iowa State University and the University of Wisconsin to identify and eliminate bottlenecks in starch biosynthesis, particularly at elevated temperatures. Our current work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Learn more...

Recent publications

Structural and Catalytic Characterization of Pichia stipitis OYE 2.6, a Useful Catalyst for Asymmetric Alkene Reductions. Y.A. Pompeu, B. Sullivan, A.Z. Walton and J.D. Stewart, Adv. Synth. Catal. 2012, in press.
A shrunken-2 Transgene Significantly Increases Maize Yield and Provides Unexpected Insights into Seed Development and shrunken-2 Function. L.C. Hannah, B. Futch, J. Bing, J. Shaw, S. Boehlein, J.D. Stewart, R. Beiriger, N. Georgelis and T. Greene, Plant Cell, 2012, in press.
Preparation of Enantiomerically Pure Citronellal Enantiomers Using Alkene Reductases. A.Z. Walton, B.T. Sullivan and J.D. Stewart in Practical Methods for Biocatalysis and Biotransformations, Whitall, J. Ed., John Wiley & Sons, 2012.
Enzymatic Reduction of C=C Double Bonds. D.J. Bougioukou and J.D. Stewart in Enzyme Catalysis in Organic Synthesis, Third Edition, K. Drauz, H. Groeger and O. May, Eds, Wiley-VCH Verlag, 2012.
Biocatalytic Reductions of Baylis-Hillman Adducts. A.Z. Walton, W.C. Conerly, Y.A. Pompeu, B. Sullivan and J.D. Stewart ACS Catalysis 2011, 1, 989-993 (cover article).

Stewart group news

May 5, 2012 - Congratulations and best wishes to LTC Adam Z. Walton, who was awarded a Ph.D. degree at the Spring 2012 graduation ceremony. He will re-join the Department of Chemistry & Life Sciences at the U.S. Military Academy as a faculty member.

May 1, 2012 - A warm welcome to Athena Patterson-Orazem, who joined the Stewart group as an undergraduate researcher.

April 15, 2012 - A warm welcome to Sabine Leveque of the Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, who joined the Stewart group as a 2012 iREU participant.

February 10, 2012 -

Congratulations to Dr. Brad Sullivan (current post-doctoral fellow, Ph.D. 2009, Brock University) and to Yuri Pompeu (current graduate student), both of whom attended RapiData 2012 at Brookhaven National Laboratory! This is a highly competitive program that taught cutting-edge techniques in protein crystallography at the National Synchtron Light Source on April 22 - 27, 2012.

February 9, 2012 - A warm welcome to Zakarie Wright, who joined the Stewart group as an undergraduate researcher.

The "Other" Jon Stewart

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.