Dowling Group

Welcome to the Dowling Group.

We primarily use X-ray crystallography and biochemical techniques to study the structure and function of important biological systems. Our research focuses include: Challenging chemistry in natural product biosynthesis (currently focusing on azoline formation), enzymes that modify biomolecules (such as DNA and RNA modification enzymes), two component flavin monooxygenases involved in breaking C-S bonds, and protein-DNA complexes (such as transcription regulators).

We are located in the Integrated Science Complex!

The Biophysical Instumentation Core Facility (BIC) at UMass Boston is excited to welcome both internal and external users! Biophysical Instrumentation Core (BIC) Facility

Protein Structure

 

Welcome to the Dowling Group.

Summer gathering at Andrew's new house, 2023!  Members from left to right: Yuan Xia ('16), Sadira Walker, Jeremy Liew, MacKenzie Patterson ('18), Reyaz Gonzalez, Dr. Daniel Dowling, Christopher Kim ('20), Jayata Mawani, Dr. Andrew Gnann   ('23).

Lab Picture

Lab News!

Congratulations Jonathan Webb for passing his oral qualifying exam and achieving Ph.D. candidacy!         02/2024        

     

                         JWebb_OQEPresentation

Welcome to our new undergraduate researcher, Obadele Bello Roufai!         09/2023        

Congratulations Jeremy Liew for receiving the Brann graduate research fellowship from the College of Science and Mathematics at UMass Boston!         08/2023        

Congratulations Andrew Gnann for successfully defending his dissertation!         07/2023        

Congratulations Sadira Walker for completing her Literate Seminar!         03/2023        

Congratulations Jayata Mawani for completing her committee research update!         03/2023        

Congratulations Andrew Gnann and all team members for our recent review publication in Curr Opin Chem Biol , exploring the recent increase in atomic resolution structures of the NRPS cyclization domain and making inferences on dyanmics and mechanistic interpretations.         09/2022        

Congratulations Andrew Gnann and all team members for our recent publication in JBC, studying the second heterocyclization domain from yersiniabactin synthetase.         09/2022        

Congratulations Andrew and Ira for their new little boy! #Science Baby         09/2022        

Congratulations Reyaz Gonzalez for successfully completing your OQE requirement to become an official Ph.D. candidate!         08/2022        

                         RGonzalez_OQEPresentation

Congratulations Marcus for completing your summer research expeirence and poster presentation! We look forward to working with you in the coming year!         08/2022        

                         MSandaire_PosterPresentation

Thank you for visiting the lab this summer, Alex Farina (rising senior at Germantown Academy, PA)!         08/2022        

Graduate student Jeremy Liew has successfully defended his OQE and is now a Ph.D. candidate. Congratulations Jeremy!         08/2022        

                          JLiew_OQEPresentation

We are excited to share that our capital infrastructure grant was selected to be funded by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. Read more about it here. More will be posted as the facility becomes functional. spring 2022       

Congratulations to our graduating undergraduate lab members, Alice Wong, AudreyAnn Supreme, and Tori Cordeiro! Good luck on your next adventures!       06/2022    

Congratulations to AudreyAnn Supreme for her nomination from CSM for the JFK Award, and for being selected as the UMB recipient of the 29 Who Shine Award!        06/2022    

Congratulations to undergraduate lab members Alice Wong and AudreyAnn Supreme for receiving CSM Undergraduate Research Fellowship Awards!       09/2021    

Congratulations to undergraduate lab members Alice Wong and AudreyAnn Supreme for receiving CSM Undergraduate Research Fellowship Awards!       09/2021    

I am excited to share that my tenure package has officially been accepted, and I can't wait to see what the future brings for the lab! Thank you to all current and past members of the Dowling Lab whose hard work, enthusiasm, and scientific creativity helped establish our lab!     06/2021

Congratulations to undergraduate lab members Simon Johnson, Courtney Truong, Israa El Saudi, and Clara Barthelemy for graduating in May 2020!    

Congratulations to graduate student Jeremy Liew, undergraduate student Israa El Saudi, and our collaborators for an accepted article at JBC entitled Structures of the alkanesulfonate monooxygenase MsuD provide insight into C–S bond cleavage, substrate scope, and an unexpected role for the tetramer!     05/2021 

Congratulations to undergraduate Biochemistry Major Catherine Gaitanakis for graduating in December 2020!    

Welcome to our new graduate student, Jayata Mawani, spring of 2021!

Congratulations to graduate student Jeremy Liew for an accepted ASBMB remote presentation for the spring meeting!    

Congratulations to undergraduate Biochemistry Major Catherine Gaitanakis for graduating in December 2020!    

 

Former Lab News:

Congrats to Jess, Andrew, and Reyaz, who contributed to our recently accepted article at BBRC: Structure and function of the two-component flavin-dependent methanesulfinate monooxygenase within bacterial sulfur assimilation    11/2019

Welcome to our new graduate student, Jonathan Webb!    fall 2019

Courtney and Israa presented research posters at the 2019 ABRCAMS November meeting.

Congratulations to Jess for passing her Master's Defense and beginning her Ph.D. studies at UCLA!    8/2019

Congratulations to Andrew on passing his OQE and entering doctoral candidacy!    8/15/2018

Jess will be presenting a research poster at the 2018 August ACS meeting in Boston next week.

Congratulations to our graduating seniors (2018): MacKenzie Patterson (attanding Brandeis in the fall), Mark MacRae (attending NYU at the Sackler Institute in the fall), and Viet Dieu (entering the College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery at Des Moines University in fall)

Congratulations to Andrew on completing his written qualifying exams!

Congratulations to Bryan Henriquez on his acceptance into medical school for fall 2018!

Congratulations to our graduating seniors (2017): Susana Ruiz, Sarah Nzikoba, Bryan Henriquez and Andy Pham!

Congratulations to our former lab member, Dhruval Amin, for his acceptance into medical school!

11/25/2016: Congratulations to Yuan Xia on defending her Master's Thesis!

Congratulations to Sam on his acceptance to medical school!

Congratulations to Dhru on his acceptance to a Masters Program!

We wish the best of luck to John, Sam and Dhru as they graduate this May 2016!!!

Congratulations to John on his acceptance to medical school!