Chuck Smallwood
Dr. Smallwood is part of a multidisciplinary team developing platforms that enable biological investigations of dynamic structural and chemical biosystems across relevant spatial and temporal scales. In addition, these platforms are complemented with correlative imaging from non-destructive to static to destructive analysis of the same samples arrested in time capturing transient states of cell metabolic mechanisms relevant to multiscale demensions. Dr. Smallwood’s workscope involves providing scientific and technical expertise to projects across disciplines conducting in vivo investigations of cellular transport in bacteria, fungi, plants and algae. His speciality includes biophysical and analytical analysis of protein functional-structral relationships and metabolic engineering of industry relevant biological pathways.
Dr. Smallwood’s research focuses on characterizing cellular mechanisms of nutrient acquisition and antibiotic resistance focused on membrane trasnport and cell-surface interfaces, with direct characterization of living biosystems with high resolution microsocpy and biochemical analysis. He is currently investigating the linkages between intercellular nitrogen and carbon metabolic pathways of photosynthetic systems and the underlying mechanisms of TAG lipid accumulation in microalgae for development of advanced biofuel feedstocks. Dr. Smallwood also manages CARS and confocal fluorescence microscopy instrumentation, which provides unparralled in vivo imaging of biological and non-biological systems. He works closely with users from universities, companies, and other national laboratories as part of the DOE Multimodal Imaging and Analysis initiative to develop methods and technologies to analytically target and enhance live-cell imaging approaches enabling real-time visualization of biological systems.
Postdoctoral Researcher, PNNL, EMSL, 2014 – present
Development of a multiscale bioimaging platform: Development of methods and technologies to analytically target and enhance live-cell imaging approaches, enabling real-time visualization of biological processes in photosynthetic systems relevant to biofuel feedstocks. Recent development of microfluidic devices enables single cell characterization of bacteria, fungi and photosynthetic microalgae.
Postdoctoral Research Scholar, University of California, Berkeley 2012 – 2014. Advisor: Professor Hiroshi Nikaido, MD
Bioenergetic and Kinetic Characterization of Antibiotic Resistance in Microbial Systems: Investigated the two general and synergistic mechanisms that bacteria utilize to prevent the access of antibiotic drugs and chemotherapeutic agents to their targets within the bacterial cell.
Doctoral Research, University of Oklahoma, 2012 – 2014 Advisor: Professor Phillip E. Klebba, PhD
Biophysical and Kinetic Characterization of Iron Transport Mechanism in Escherichia coli: Investigated cellular membrane iron binding, transport and uptake that translates into new drug developments for inhibition of iron uptake, thus combating antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogenesis.
- Ph.D., Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 2012
- B.S., Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 2007
- Belle W. Goodman Award for Outstanding Scholarship in Research, University of Oklahoma, 2012
- American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Annual Meeting Travel Award, 2010
- NSF-REU Undergraduate Research Fellow, 2007
Biological cell membrane transport of metabolites, metal complexes, drugs and toxins that relate to the environment, health and bioenergy. Specifically enabling non-destructive biochemical and bioimaging capabilities to study mechanisms in natural and synthetic cells that reveals targets for genetic engineering initiatives.
PUBLICATIONS:
Smallwood C. R., Jordan L. D., Trinh V., Schuerch D., Marco A.G., Hanson M., Shipelskiy Y., Majumdar A., Newton S.M., and Klebba P.E. Concerted Loop Motion Triggers Induced Fit of FepA to Ferric Enterobactin. J Gen Physiol. 2014 (Honored by feature on journal cover.)
Jordan L. D., Zhou Y., Smallwood C. R., Lill Y., Ritchie K., Yip W. T., Newton S. M., Klebba P. E. Energy-dependent motion of TonB in the Gram-negative bacterial inner membrane. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2013 Jul 9;110(28):11553-8.
Smallwood, C. R., Marco, A. G., Xiao, Q., Trinh, V., Newton, S. M., and Klebba, P. E. Fluoresceination of FepA during colicin B killing: effects of temperature, toxin and TonB, Mol Microbiol 2009, 72, 1171-1180.