Totah Lab

Congratulations to Alex, Jade and Rivcka for the acceptance of their Drug Metabolism Reviews paper!

Justin, a past lab member, has been accepted into dental school at the University of Maryland this fall to pursue a doctorate in dental surgery! We wish him the best.

We are excited to announce that Christi has been accepted as a TL-1 fellow. The exposure to other fields and ideas that she will encounter throughout this fellowship will be an invaluable supplement to her scientific education. We are excited for her as she begins her journey as a translational researcher.

In Human METTL7B is an alkyl thiol methyltransferase that metabolizes hydrogen sulfide and captopril Ben shows that the novel protein METTL7B contributes to the methylation of exogenous alkyl thiol containing small molecules. A great body of work and a cornerstone to our labs expanding interest in small molecule methyltransferases.

Max’s analytical prowess is on display in his most recent publication, Changes in erythrocyte membrane epoxyeicosatrienoic, dihydroxyeicosatrienoic, and hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids during pregnancy, which explores the metabolic profile of downstream metabolites of arachidonic acid during pregnancy. 

Drake Received the SfRBM 2020 Trainee Award for his abstract titled METTL7A and METTL7B Catalyze the Methylation of Aliphatic Thiols. He recorded a 15-minute talk and presented it at the 27th Annual Conference of the Society for Redox Biology and Medicine. His comments: “A great journal and a memorable experience overall, although, recording yourself is tough.” 

We are excited for recently graduated Eric Evangelista and past student Theresa Aliwarga’s recent paper Higher Epoxyeicosatrienoic Acids in Cardiomyocytes-Specific CYP2J2 Transgenic Mice Are Associated with Improved Myocardial Remodeling making the cover of Biomedicines V8, Issue 6, June 2020. Higher Epoxyeicosatrienoic Acids in Cardiomyocytes-Specific CYP2J2 Transgenic Mice Are Associated with Improved Myocardial Remodeling.

Drake applied for the PSTP with the project goal of probing the relationship between METTL7A and METTL7B mediated H2S methylation and myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury. The PSTP will provide him invaluable supplementary education including foundational biostats, industry mentorship, and extracuricular journal club activities with peers outside of his core program. The extra training and supplemental…

Ben Maldonato just defended his thesis entitled “METTL7 Alkyl Thiol Methyltransferases: Implications in Drug Metabolism and Human Health”. Truly a great member of the lab, his thesis was a commendable body of work that will set the stage for many exciting projects to come. NICE JOB BEN!!! We will miss you.