Biomolecular Analysis and Application Research Team

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Biomolecular Analysis & Application Research Team

We are a group of research scientists with expertise in biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, chemical biology, synthetic biology and biophysics. We seek to understand structure, function, and interaction among biomolecules with the goal of applying our knowledge to practical applications in fighting bacterial diseases in agriculture and human health, promoting organic agriculture, and improving crop yield and quality. Please find our current research in the Research &
Development section.

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

We primarily focus on understanding structure, function, and interaction among biomolecules
including small molecules, DNA, and proteins at cellular level with the goal of expanding our
knowledge to practical applications in fighting bacterial diseases in agriculture and human
health, promoting organic agriculture, and improving crop yield and quality. Our current research
is listed below.

Agriculture and Environment

– Antimicrobial alternatives
– Structure-based protein engineering for enhanced enzyme activity
– Rapid and on-site DNA-based diagnostics for bacterial diseases
– Antimicrobial susceptibility profile in Streptococcus suis
– Pathogen and drug resistance detection by MS array
– Stability improvement of bacteriophage for biocontrol
– Investigation of plant ion channels toward precision farming application
– Metabolomics Analysis for biocontrol and bioactive compounds
– Development of cell-based biosensor for diagnostics

Medicine

– Structure-based drug design
– Antimicrobial drug and target discovery

Publications

2020
Riangrungroj P, Polizzi KM. BeQuIK (2020) (Biosensor Engineered Quorum Induced Killing): designer bacteria for destroying recalcitrant biofilms. Microb Biotechnol. 13:311-314.

2019
Chitnumsub P, Jaruwat A, Talawanich Y, Noytanom K, Liwnaree B, Poen S, Yuthavong Y. (2019) The structure of Plasmodium falciparum hydroxymethyldihydropterin pyrophosphokinase-dihydropteroate synthase reveals the basis of sulfa resistance. FEBS J. Dec 28. doi: 10.1111/febs.15196.

Pongpamorn P, Watthaisong P, Pimviriyakul P, Jaruwat A, Lawan N, Chitnumsub P, Chaiyen P. (2019) Identification of a hotspot residue for improving the thermostability of a flavin-dependent monooxygenase. Chembiochem, 20:3020-3031.

Songsungthong W, Yongkiettrakul S, Bohan LE, Nicholson ES, Prasopporn S, Chaiyen P, Leartsakulpanich U. (2019) Diaminoquinazoline MMV675968 from pathogen box inhibits Acinetobacter baumannii growth through targeting of dihydrofolate reductase. Sci Rep. 9:15625.

Riangrungroj P, Bever CS, Hammock BD, Polizzi KM. (2019) A label-free optical whole-cell Escherichia coli biosensor for the detection of pyrethroid insecticide exposure. Sci Rep., 9:12466

Ubonprasert, S., Jaroensuk, J., Pornthanakasem, W., Kamonsutthipaijit, N., Wongpituk, P., Mee-udorn, P., Rungrotmongkol, T., Ketchart, O., Chitnumsub, P. Leartsakulpanich, U., Chaiyen, P. and Maenpuen, S. (2019). A flap motif in human serine hydroxymethyl transferase is important for
structural stabilization, ligand binding, and control of product release. J Biol Chem, 294: 10490–10502.

Jaruwat, A., Riangrungroj, P., Ubonprasert, S., Sae-ueng, U., Kuaprasert, B., Yuthavong, Y.,Leartsakulpanich, U. and Chitnumsub, P. (2019). Crystal structure of Plasmodium falciparum adenosine deaminase reveals a novel binding pocket for inosine. Arch Biochem Biophys, 667: 6-13.

Yongkiettrakul, S., Maneerat, K., Arechanajan, B., Malila, Y., Srimanote, P., Gottschalk, M. and
Visessanguan, W. (2019). Antimicrobial susceptibility of Streptococcus suis isolated from diseased
pigs, asymptomatic pigs, and human patients in Thailand. BMC Vet Res, 15: 5.

Kylilis N, Riangrungroj P, Lai HE, Salema V, Fernández LÁ, Stan GV, Freemont PS, Polizzi KM. (2019) Whole-cell biosensor with tunable limit of detection enables Low-cost agglutination assays for medical diagnostic applications. ACS Sens, 4:370-378.

Chamchoy, K., Pakotiprapha, D., Pumirat, P., Leartsakulpanich, U. and Boonyuen, U. (2019). Application of WST-8 based colorimetric NAD(P)H detection for quantitative dehydrogenase assays. BMC Biochemistry, 20: 4.

Chatwichien, J., Prachavna, B., Suntivich, R. and Kumphune, S. (2019). Structure – activity relationship (SAR) study of diisothiocyanates for antiproliferative activity on A549 human non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Lett Org Chem, 16: 569-574.

2018
Tarnchompoo, B., Chitnumsub, P., Jaruwat, A., Shaw, P.J., Vanichtanankul, J., Poen, S., Rattanajak, R., Wongsombat, C., Tonsomboon, A., Decharuangsilp, S., Anukunwithaya, T., Arwon, U., Kamchonwongpaisan, S. and Yuthavong, Y. (2018). Hybrid inhibitors of malarial dihydrofolate
reductase with dual binding modes that can forestall resistance. ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 9: 1235–1240.

Ittarat W, Pornthanakasem W, Mungthin M, Suwandittakul N, Leelayoova S, Tarnchompoo B, Yuthavong Y, Kongkasuriyachai D, Leartsakulpanich U. (2018) Characterization of Plasmodium knowlesi dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase and sensitivity to antifolates. Parasitol Int. 67: 787-792.

Schwertz G, Witschel MC, Rottmann M, Leartsakulpanich U, Chitnumsub P, Jaruwat A, Amornwatcharapong W, Ittarat W, Schäfer A, Aponte RA, Trapp N, Chaiyen P, Diederich F. (2018) Potent Inhibitors of Plasmodial serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) featuring a spirocyclic scaffold. Chem Med Chem. 13:931-943.

Maneerat K., Yongkiettrakul S., Jiemsup S., Gottschalk M., and Srimanote P. (2017) Expression and characterization of serotype 2 Streptococcus suis arginine deiminase. J Mol Microbiol Biotechnol. 27(3):133-146.

Awards

Falling Walls Lab Thailand 2019
First-place winner, Breaking the Wall of Bacterial Wilt Disease

National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) Awards, 2018
1) Research award: System for controlling Plasmodium gene expression using the glms ribozyme and its application for drug development
2) Thesis award: Physics of Viruses

National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) Awards, 2017
1) Research award: Serine hydroxymethyltransferase as a novel drug target for malaria
2) Thesis award: Probing the roles of receptor structure, drug-receptor interactions, and receptor crosstalk in ligand-gated ion channel function

Department of Medical Sciences (DMSc) Awards, 2016
1) Plasmodium serine hydroxymethyltransferase for antimalarial drug development
2) LAMP-LFD assay for malaria parasite detection

Professor M.R. Jisnuson Svasti-BMB Award, 2016