Alireza Mashaghi
Alireza Mashaghi | |
|---|---|
Statistical physics of medical diagnostics Organ chips for viral diseases | |
| Awards | Discoverer of the Year 2018, Muscular Dystrophy Association Award 2019 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics, Medicine |
| Institutions | Leiden University, Harvard University |
Alireza Mashaghi is a
pharmaceutical sciences
.
Mashaghi made the first observation of direct
DnaK function and made a discovery that, according to Ans Hekkenberg, "overturns the decades-old textbook model of action for a protein that is central for many processes in living cells".[3] He and his co-workers found that chaperone DnaK can recognise natively folded protein parts and thereby promotes protein folding directly. Furthermore, the lab was the first to use optical tweezers to study folding of a single protein molecule in a cytosol, revealing the collective contribution of chaperones to folding.[4] Inspired by single-molecule analysis of biopolymers, Mashaghi and his team developed a topology framework, termed as circuit topology, which enabled studying folded molecular chains, beyond what knot theory can offer.[5] The approach allows for topological barcoding of proteins and cellular genomes for medical applications.[6] [7]
Mashaghi also contributed to others areas in biophysics and bioengineering including
hemorrhagic shock syndrome, and later extended the applicability of the platform to various viral haemorrhagic syndromes.[11] Ebola and similar viruses pathologically alter the mechanics of human cells, which is recapitulated in organ chip models. Moreover, the Mashaghi team developed optical tweezers and acoustic force spectroscopy based assays to probe such mechanical alterations at the single cell level.[12]
Mashaghi is also active in interdisciplinary research in
medical diagnostics; this unprecedented link between physics and medicine may allow for early and efficient diagnosis of certain diseases.[15]
During his academic career, Mashaghi has been affiliated with various institutions including
Nano Research
.
In 2018, Mashaghi has been named as "Discoverer of the Year" by Leiden University.[19] He is the recipient of several awards including an honorarium from American Chemical Society.
References
- ^ The Mashaghi group, LACDR, Leiden University
- ^ "A Rubik's cube at the nanoscale: proteins puzzle with amino acid chains". Archived from the original on 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2017-12-13.
- ^ Universal clamping protein stabilizes folded proteins: New insight into how the chaperone protein Hsp70 works
- ^ University, Leiden. "Biological origami at molecular level: Cytosolic interactome protects against protein unfolding". phys.org.
- PMID 25126961.
- ISBN 978-981-16-6807-4
- ^ Leiden scientists develop topological barcodes for folded molecules
- ^ "Conformation Activity Relationships - Why Do Molecules Change Shape?". 14 February 2010.
- PMID 23429269.}
- PMID 32674988.
- PMID 31887664.
- PMID 34988399.
- ^ "Preventing graft rejection in high-risk corneal transplant patients".
- ^ Mashaghi-Tabari, Alireza; Dana, Reza; Chauhan, Sunil (June 2015). "Mesenchymal stem cells suppress innate immune response to corneal injury". Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 56 (7): 4356.
- ^ Diagnosing patients with the help of statistical physics (2018) [1]
- ^ Mashaghi A et al. Biophysical Journal 95 (11), p5476–5486 (2008)
- PMID 28060028.
- PMID 25615283.
- ^ Our Talents & Discoveries 2017 - Universiteit Leiden