Petra Fromme

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Petra Fromme
Petra Fromme at Arizona State University Research.jpg
Fromme in 2017
Alma mater Technische Universität Berlin
Free University of Berlin
Scientific career
Institutions Arizona State University
Max Volmer Institute
Thesis Die ATP-Synthase aus Chloroplasten biochemische Untersuchungen zur Struktur und kinetische Messungen zum Mechanismus des Enzyms  (1988)

Petra Fromme is a German-American chemist who is Director of the Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery and Regents Professor at the Arizona State University. Her research considers the structure-to-function relationship of the membrane proteins involved with infectious diseases and bio-energy conversion. In 2021, she was awarded the Protein Society Anfinsen Award.

Contents

Early life and education

Fromme was born in Germany. She attended the Free University of Berlin for undergraduate studies, where she majored in biochemistry. [1] She moved to Technische Universität Berlin for her doctoral research, where she investigated the ATP synthase of chloroplasts. [2]

Research and career

Fromme's academic career started at the Max Volmer Institute, part of the TU Berlin.[ citation needed ] Fromme joined Arizona State University as a Professor of Molecular Sciences in 2002. [3] She was named Paul V Galvin Professor in 2012. In 2014, Fromme was appointed Director of the Centre for Applied Structural Discovery. [4] [5] The following year she was selected as a Regents' Professor. [6] At Arizona State, she oversaw the development of two compact X-ray accelerator systems, including an X-ray light source [7] and an X-ray Free Electron Laser. [8] [9] [10]

Fromme was amongst the first people to use high energy X-ray free-electron lasers to analyze proteins. These lasers, which produce extremely bright and ultra-short pulses of light, allow for serial femtosecond nanocrystallography. [11] Whilst conventional high intensity X-ray pulses can damage the molecules they are interrogating, femtosecond pulses can permit the acquisition of diffraction patterns before the sample degrades. [8] Femtosecond measurements allowed Fromme to establish the structure-property relationships of crucial biological systems, including ATP synthase, Photosystem I and Photosystem II. [12] [13] [14] [15] Nanocrystallography will allow for the development of more safe and effective drugs, [16] [17] [18] as well as accelerating our understanding of material design for renewable energy sources. [8] [19]

In an effort to design new drugs, Fromme has studied the structure of disease-linked enzymes in the human body including Taspase I. [20] The protease is involved with cell metabolism, proliferation, migration and termination, and its dysregulation is implicated in the genesis of various cancers. [21] By investigating Taspase I with free-electron lasers, Fromme showed that there is a critical helical region which defines the protease activity, and eliminating this region can deactiviate the enzyome entirely. [21] X-ray Free Electron Lasers also allowed for the characterisations of Francisella tularensis , the bacterium which gives rise to Tularemia. [22]

She also has published and co published many scientific papers in many journals, like; Three-Dimensional structure of Cyanobacterial photosystem I at 2.5 Å resolution, Crystal Structure of photosystem II from Synechococcus elongatus at 3.8 Å resolution, Femtosecond X-ray protein nano-crystallography, Single mimivirus particulars intercepted and imaged with an X-Ray Laser, and so much more. [23]

Awards and honors

Selected publications

Books

Related Research Articles

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An attosecond is a unit of time in the International System of Units (SI) equal to 10−18 or 11 000 000 000 000 000 000 of a second. An attosecond is to a second as a second is to about 31.71 billion years. The attosecond is a tiny unit but it has various potential applications: it can observe oscillating molecules, the chemical bonds formed by atoms in chemical reactions, and other extremely tiny and extremely fast things.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian B. Anfinsen</span> American biochemist (1916–1995)

Christian Boehmer Anfinsen Jr. was an American biochemist. He shared the 1972 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Stanford Moore and William Howard Stein for work on ribonuclease, especially concerning the connection between the amino acid sequence and the biologically active conformation.

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A free-electron laser (FEL) is a fourth generation light source producing extremely brilliant and short pulses of radiation. An FEL functions much as a laser but employs relativistic electrons as a gain medium instead of using stimulated emission from atomic or molecular excitations. In an FEL, a bunch of electrons passes through a magnetic structure called an undulator or wiggler to generate radiation, which re-interacts with the electrons to make them emit coherently, exponentially increasing its intensity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photosystem</span> Structural units of protein involved in photosynthesis

Photosystems are functional and structural units of protein complexes involved in photosynthesis. Together they carry out the primary photochemistry of photosynthesis: the absorption of light and the transfer of energy and electrons. Photosystems are found in the thylakoid membranes of plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. These membranes are located inside the chloroplasts of plants and algae, and in the cytoplasmic membrane of photosynthetic bacteria. There are two kinds of photosystems: PSI and PSII.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photosystem II</span> First protein complex in light-dependent reactions of oxygenic photosynthesis

Photosystem II is the first protein complex in the light-dependent reactions of oxygenic photosynthesis. It is located in the thylakoid membrane of plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Within the photosystem, enzymes capture photons of light to energize electrons that are then transferred through a variety of coenzymes and cofactors to reduce plastoquinone to plastoquinol. The energized electrons are replaced by oxidizing water to form hydrogen ions and molecular oxygen.

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References

  1. "Petra Fromme". Arizona State University. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  2. Fromme, Petra (1988). Die ATP-Synthase aus Chloroplasten biochemische Untersuchungen zur Struktur und kinetische Messungen zum Mechanismus des Enzyms (Thesis) (in German). OCLC   721655618.
  3. Ryman, Anne. "New ASU center to expand cutting-edge research". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  4. "ASU protein pioneer honored as innovator at governor's celebration". Biodesign Institute | ASU. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
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  6. "Three ASU faculty members appointed Regents' Professors". Biodesign Institute | ASU. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  7. "Beuses' $10 million gift to build world's first-of-its-kind X-ray laser lab at ASU". Biodesign Institute | ASU. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Petra Fromme honored with the prestigious Anfinsen Award". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  9. "The sounds of science: A quiet home for a powerful laser". Biodesign Institute | ASU. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  10. "Bright lights, big science: Revolutionary laser instrument receives $4.7 million boost from the National Science Foundation". Biodesign Institute | ASU. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  11. "Time-resolved Femtosecond Crystallography: Toward Molecular Movies of Molecules In Action". Biodesign Institute | ASU. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  12. "Petra Fromme". Biodesign Institute | ASU. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  13. "BioXFEL - Petra Fromme". www.bioxfel.org. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  14. "Photosynthesis seen in a new light by rapid X-ray pulses". Biodesign Institute | ASU. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  15. "X-ray study unlocks secrets of light-sensing organism". Biodesign Institute | ASU. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  16. "Research team finds possible new approach for sleeping sickness drugs". Biodesign Institute | ASU. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  17. "One step closer: Membrane protein structure expressed in Lyme disease could offer therapeutic target". Biodesign Institute | ASU. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  18. "X-ray pulses reveal structure of viral cocoon". Biodesign Institute | ASU. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  19. "Research". Biodesign Institute | ASU. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  20. "Finding answers to cancer in the cosmos". Biodesign Institute | ASU. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  21. 1 2 "First detailed look at crucial enzyme advances cancer research". Biodesign Institute | ASU. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  22. "X-ray eyes peer deeper into deadly pathogen". Biodesign Institute | ASU. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  23. "Petra Fromme". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
  24. "ASU research makes Science's top 10 breakthroughs". ASU News. 2013-01-13. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  25. "Fromme garners Best of Phoenix award". Biodesign Institute | ASU. Retrieved 2021-08-19.