Maria Nagan
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry
Truman State University
Kirksville, MO 63501
(660) 785-4084
(660) 785-4045 (fax)
mnagan@truman.edu
Find more information (course syllabi, exams, etc.) by clicking here.
Education
- B.S., Grinnell College
- Ph.D., University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Courses Taught
- Chemistry for Contemporary Living
- Chemical Principles I
- Biochemistry
- Advanced Biochemistry
- Advanced Physical Chemistry
Research Interests
My students and I are interested in understanding ribonucleic acid (RNA) recognition by computationally modeling protein-RNA and RNA-RNA interactions. The primary computational method we use is called molecular dynamics. It is based upon a classical model that allows us to simulate a molecule's motions throughout time (it's like making a movie). We are interested in modeling RNA because it can form unusual structures in addition to standard double helices.
Organisms called "extremophiles" tend to live in high salt concentrations, at high pressures, in anaerobic environments or in extreme temperatures. In addition, these extremophiles possess unusually high amounts of posttranslationally modified nucleic acid bases in their transfer RNA. We are interested in understanding why modified bases are required in transfer RNA molecules and specifically the chemical role that they play. Students in my group are also interested in understanding protein-RNA recognition at various points in the life cycle of the HIV-1 virus. Blocking protein-RNA binding can inhibit the ability of HIV to replicate. Thus, understanding how and why proteins recognize specific RNA molecules in HIV may lead to future antiviral agents.