Chemical Biology Seminar: Professor Michael Erb, Scripps Research Institute
About the Seminar
"Rewiring chromatin-regulated processes with proximity pharmacology"
Proximity pharmacology enables biochemical events to be rewired with temporal precision, offering privileged insights into cell biology that are difficult to access with traditional genetic approaches or conventional small-molecule drugs. To uncover chemical inducers of proximity that rewire chromatin-regulated processes, we combine innovative discovery chemistry approaches (e.g. SuFEx-based high-throughput chemical synthesis) with bespoke cell-based screening assays, forward genetic screens, and integrative transcriptional genomics. These efforts have enabled us to: (i) broaden the scope of ligandable proteins to “undruggable” transcription factors, (ii) harness previously unrecognized effectors for targeted protein degradation, and (iii) target homologous recombination (HR)-deficient tumors by recruiting heterologous proteins to sites of DNA damage. Collectively, these studies provide a blueprint for expanding proximity pharmacology into previously inaccessible biological spaces.
About the Speaker
Michael Erb is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute. He graduated with a BA in biochemistry from Claremont McKenna College in 2014, received his PhD from Harvard University under the mentorship of Jay Bradner and Nathanael Gray in 2017, and began his independent career as one of the inaugural Scripps Fellows in 2017. His laboratory at Scripps Research is principally interested in using chemical tools to understand the mechanisms by which chromatin-regulated processes are controlled in living cells. Leveraging multi-disciplinary expertise in chemical biology, high-throughput chemistry, forward genetics, and transcriptional genomics, they prioritize the development of new proximity pharmacology approaches that will give privileged access to novel biological concepts and therapeutic strategies. Prof. Erb is the recipient of an NIH Director’s Early Independence Award (2018) and an Ono Pharma Foundation Breakthrough Science Initiative Award (2020).
Host: Steven Banik
This seminar is supported by the William S. Johnson endowment honoring this esteemed chemist, who made significant contributions in the areas of synthetic and bioorganic chemistry.