Originally from Portland, Oregon, Nichole earned a B.S. and M.S. from University of Nevada, Reno. She supports laboratory and the VI4 operations.
Fredrick Haywood is the Social Media and Communications Project Manager for the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology & Inflammation (VI4) and the Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology. In this role, he manages The Studio and the VI4/PMI social media accounts, focusing on content creation, email marketing, graphic design, website maintenance and mentoring the VI4 Science Communication Internship.
Our lab focuses on the discovery, biosynthesis, and re-engineering of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). Using a genes-to-molecules approach, we leverage big data genomics analyses to inform RiPP structure and function. These efforts routinely uncover unique enzyme chemistries that constrain peptides in a manner that enables high-affinity engagement with biological targets. Our work aims to harness RiPP biosynthetic pathways to create new-to-nature compounds with novel activities to improve human health.
Keywords: chemical biology, genome mining, bioinformatics, microbial natural products, enzyme chemistry, antibiotics, drug design