Related links

• AT JIC:
• Metabolic Biology

Curriculum Vitae

• 1994 BSc, Chemistry, John Carroll University
• 2001 PhD, Biochemistry, The Ohio State University
• 2002 Postdoc, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
• 2003 NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Salk
• 2005 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Associate, Salk
• 2009-present Project Leader, JIC/IFR

Paul O'Maille

Project Leader

Metabolic Biology

Contact details

paul.o'maille@jic.ac.uk

Research interests

Plants produce a rich vocabulary of chemicals to communicate, thrive and survive in various ecologies - the language of specialized (secondary) metabolism. This language changes over evolutionary time-scales by mutation and recombination - steps in sequence that alter the catalytic properties of encoded enzymes. This sequence-chemical relationship defines a ‘catalytic landscape’ that encodes the chemical diversity of secondary metabolism in the natural world.

Our group is interested in quantifying the catalytic landscape underlying secondary metabolism to examine the emergence of chemical diversity as plants adapt to varying ecological niches. We approach this at the level of protein structure and function using experimental techniques of protein engineering, enzymology, bio-analytical chemistry, structural biology, and mathematical modeling. We extend our reach through strategic collaborations to interrogate the implications of metabolic changes on relevant biological systems; considering the importance of plant secondary metabolites in mediating host-microbe interactions, we are actively exploring the impact of phytochemicals on human microbial communities and plant-pathogen interactions.