Laura J. Juszczak
Associate Professor
Chemistry
Location: 3119 Ingersoll Hall
Phone: 718.951.5000 x1426
Fax: 718.951.4607
Email:
Laura J. Juszczak's Web site
After several years as a painting conservator, Laura Juszczak returned to New York University with the aim of becoming an art conservation scientist. On the way to a master's degree, however, her focus changed from the study of inorganic to organic pigments. She stayed on to complete a Ph.D.; her dissertation focused on the energy transfer mechanism in light-harvesting blue-green algae. Continuing with spectroscopy, she worked as a postdoc in the laser lab of Professor Joel M. Friedman, primarily studying hemoglobin mutants using the laser technique of UV resonance Raman(UVRR) spectroscopy. She stayed on at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine as a faculty associate. With her faculty appointment in 2006 at Brooklyn College, Juszczak earned NIH funding to apply UVRR and other spectroscopic techniques, together with molecular modeling simulations, to study the reporter molecule and amino acid, tryptophan, in proteins.
Education:
Postdoctoral studies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine - 1999 (Laser Spectroscopy of Proteins)
Ph.D., New York University - 1993 (Chemistry, Physical)
M.S., New York University - 1986 (Chemistry)
M.S., University of Delaware - 1979 (Art Conservation)
A.B., Wellesley College - 1976 (Art History)
Areas of Expertise:
Laura Juszczak's area of expertise is biophysical chemistry; her tools are spectroscopic, primarily UV resonance Raman. This technique is used to selectively probe aromatic residues in proteins, primarily tryptophan but also tyrosine. Such studies reveal details about protein conformation in both the normal and diseased state. This information allows us to understand the molecular level detail of the disease process, and helps researchers to design effective drugs.
Books and Publications
Laura J. Juszczak. "Clock It: Solving the 3-D Chirality Problem with a 2-D Method-A Simple Algorithm for Teaching and Determining Enantiomers in General Chemistry." Journal of Chemical Education, September 8, 2021, Articles ASAP (Communication). (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2021
Grigoryan, A., S. Eisenberg and L.J. Juszczak. PHOXI: A High Quantum Yield, Solvent-Sensitive Blue Fluorescent 5-Hydroxytryptophan Derivative Synthesized within Ten Minutes under Aqueous, Ambient Conditions. J Phys Chem B (2017) 121 7256-7266, PubMed # 28686023, NIHMSID 898377. (Books and Publications: Forthcoming Publications) 2017
Laura J. Juszczak and Azaria S. Eisenberg. The Color of Cation-pi Interactions: Subtleties of Amine-Tryptophan Interaction Energetics Allow for Radical-like Visible Absorbance and Fluorescence. J Am Chem Soc. (2017) 217 8302-8311, PubMed #28537725, NIHMSID 890707. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2017
AS Eisenberg, M Nathan, LJ Juszczak. : Excited state electron distribution and role of the terminal amine in acidic and basic tryptophan dipeptide fluorescence. J Mol Struc 2016 12pp (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2016
Eisenberg, S. and L.J. Juszczak. "The Broken Ring: Reduced Aromaticity in Lys-Trp Cations and High pH Tautomer Correlates with Lower Quantum Yield and Shorter Lifetimes." Submitted to Journal of Physical Chemistry B. (Books and Publications: Forthcoming Publications) 2014
Eisenberg, S. and L.J. Juszczak. The Broken Ring: Reduced Aromaticity in Lys-Trp Cations and High pH Tautomer Correlates with Lower Quantum Yield and Shorter Lifetimes. J Phys Chem B (2014) 118 7059-69, PMCID: PMC4165537. (Books and Publications: Forthcoming Publications) 2014
Eisenberg, Azaria Solomon and Laura J. Juszczak. "Relating Trp-Glu Dipeptide Fluorescence to Molecular Conformation: The Role of the Discrete chi 1 and chi 2 Angles." Journal of Computational Chemistry. Article first published online, April 8 | DOI: 10.1002/jcc.23288. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2013
Eisenberg, A.S. and Laura Juszczak. "Correlation of TrpGly and GlyTrp Rotamer Structure with W7
and W10 UV Resonance Raman Modes and Fluorescence Emission Shifts" Journal of Amino Acids. DOI: 10.1155/2012/735076. (Books and Publications: Forthcoming Publications) 2012
Meng, Xianwei, Trisheena Harricharran and Laura Juszczak. "A Spectroscopic Survey of Substituted Indoles Reveals Consequences of a Stabilized 1Lb Transition." Photochemistry and Photobiology. DOI 10.1111/j1751-1097. (Books and Publications: Forthcoming Publications) 2012
Juszczak, L.J. and R.Z.B. Desamero. "Extension of the Tryptophan Dihedral Angle - W3 Band Frequency Relationship to a Full Rotation: Correlations and Caveats." Biochemistry 48: 2777-87. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2009
Maliga, Z., J. Xing, H. Cheung, L.J. Juszczak, J.M. Friedman and S.S. Rosenfeld. "A Pathway of Structural Changes Produced by Monastrol Binding to Eg5." Journal of Biological Chemistry 281: 7977-82. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2006
Samuni, U., C.J. Roche, D. Dantsker, L.J. Juszczak and J. M. Friedman. "Modulation of Reactivity and Conformation within the T-quaternary State of Human Hemoglobin: The Combined Use of Mutagenesis and Sol-Gel Encapsulation." Biochemistry 45: 2820-35. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2006
Juszczak, L., U. Samuni and J. M. Friedman. "The Conformational and Functional Significance of the α140 Side Chain in HbA: A UV and Visible Resonance Raman Study of the Three α140 Mutants." Journal of Raman Spectroscopy 36: 350-58. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2005
Kavanaugh, J.S., L.J. Juszczak, P.H. Rogers, A. Arnone, Hilda L. Hui, Anita Wierzba, Alice DeYoung, Laura D. Kwiatkowski, Robert W. Noble, Eric S. Peterson and Joel M. Friedman. "Intersubunit Interactions Associated with Tyr42 alpha Stabilize the Quaternary-T Tetramer but Are Not Major Quaternary Constraints in Deoxyhemoglobin." Biochemistry 44: 3806-20. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2005
"Comparative Vibrational Spectroscopy of Intracellular Tau and Extracellular Collagen I Reveals Parallels of Gelation and Fibrillar Structure." Journal of Biological Chemistry 279: 7395-404 and 18098. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2004
Awards, Honors and Fellowships
NSF INSTRUMENTATION AWARD. Sept. 2021 CO-PI on: 'MRI: Acquisition of a Streak Camera System for Time-resolved deep UV - visible photoluminescence Spectroscopy.' PI: Mim Lal Nakarmi, Dept. of Physics, Brooklyn College. Title of my proposal contribution: 'Photodynamics of the Cation-π Interaction and its role in Protein Function.' (Grants and Fellowships) 2021
NSF PROPOSAL CONTRIBUTOR to: 'MRI: Enhancing research and undergraduate experiences at CUNY through modern parallel hybrid architectures and cloud technologies.' PI: Angelo Bongiorno, High Performance Computer Center at the College of Staten Island. Title of my contribution: 'Connecting the visible spectroscopy of aromatic cation-interactions to molecular level specifics and radical photophysics.' Submitted January 2021. (Grants and Fellowships) 2021
NIH SC3 application submitted, "Coloring in the aromatic boxes: visible spectroscopy of cation-pi interactions." (Grants and Fellowships) 2019
NSF MRI, for "Proposal for a stimulated-emission-depletion (STED) microscope," submitted by Rein Ulijn, ASRC, CUNY, Jan. 22. Contributed a support proposal, "STED microscopy for the development of auxiliary photosynthesis light-harvesting pigments." (Grants and Fellowships) 2015
NIH grant 5 SC3 GM105562, for "Edge-on/face-on: Trp tripeptides model residue interactions in proteins." June 2013 - May 2017.
(Grants and Fellowships) 2013
PSC-CUNY ENHC-44-37, for "Tryptophan as secondary sphere binding ligand in the prion protein 2+ octapeptide complex." July 2013 - June 2014. (Grants and Fellowships) 2013
Lipke, P., L. Quadri, L. Juszczak and T. Muth. MRI-R2 joint proposal for major research instrument: "Acquisition of a Plasmon Resonance Spectrometer: Metal Surface Affinity and Kinetics for Irreversible-Binding Proteins as Measured by SPR Spectroscopy." Funded August 2010-July 31, 2013. (Grants and Fellowships) 2010
NIH SC02 proposal 1SC2GM092291-01, for "Spectroscopic Markers for Blue-Fluorescing Tryptophan in Proteins." Funded June 2010-May 2013. (Grants and Fellowships) 2010
PSC-CUNY Award #62490-00-40, for "A Small Drug-Like Molecule Inhibits Amyloid Beta 42 Oligomerization and Toxicity." (Grants and Fellowships) 2009
PSC-CUNY Award #60087-37-38, for "Two-Dimensional Spectroscopic Analysis of Protein Unfolding/Refolding by FTIR Spectroscopy." (Grants and Fellowships) 2007
Research Activities
Undergraduate research mentoring for Hillary Jaramillo (CHEM 5110; project: "Quantum Yield and Lifetime measurements on Cys-Trp dipeptide charges species") and Godfrey Rollins (CHEM 5110; project: "Quantum Yield and Lifetime measurements on Trp-Cys dipeptide charges species"). 2015
Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums
At the CUNY Biophysics Symposium, ASRC, CUNY, May 3, 2109. "The role of cation-pi interactions in protein function." (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Contributed Talk) 2019
The American Photobiology Biennial Meeting, Tampa, FL. May 14, 2018. Coloring in the boxes: Spectroscopic characterization of cation-pi interactions in aromatic, ligand-binding pockets. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2018
Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting, American Chemical Society, June 9-12, 2016, College of Mt. St. Vincent, Yonkers, NY. Lecture: The effect of N-terminal and indole amine protonation state on aromaticity and tryptophan quantum yield. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2016
The College of Staten Island/CUNY November 10, 2016. Title: The broken ring: what tryptophan fluorescence and electronic isosurfaces tell us about the fluidity of aromatic pi electron distribution. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2016
Azaria, M.A., S. Eisenberg and Laura J. Juszczak. "From Charge State to Isosurfaces to Spectra: Unraveling the Mystery of Lys-Trp Dipeptide Fluorescence" platform talk. International Biophysical Society Meeting. Baltimore, Feb. 7-11. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2015
Azaria, M.A., S. Eisenberg and Laura J. Juszczak. "UV Resonance Raman and Fluorescence spectroscopies with QM/MD calculations characterize Trp Protein Environment" poster. RamanFest. Harvard University. Cambridge, Mass., June 12-13. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2015
"The Photophysics of Trp-Glu Dipeptide Conformations" poster. Gordon Conference on Photochemistry. Stonehill College. Easton, Mass., July 21-26. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2013
Eisenberg, A., M. Nathan and L.J. Juszczak. " Backbone Stretched; Backbone Curled: Conformational Similarity for Trp Dipeptides Parallels Fluorescence Emission and UVRR W10 Shifts." 56th International Biophysical Society Annual Meeting. San Diego, Feb. 25-29. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2012
"Ultraviolet Resonance Raman Spectroscopy: Versatility at a Single Wavelength." CUNY Graduate Center. BICM. March 15. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2011
Eisenberg, Azaria and L.J. Juszczak. "Tracing the Fluorescence Shift of Tryptophan Dipeptides" poster. International Biophysical Society Meeting. Baltimore, March 2-4. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2011
Meng, X., A. Eisenberg, T. Harricharan and L. Juszczak. "Electron Density of Indole Derivatives, Calculation and Experiment," Marie Curie Nobel Centennial Symposium. Baruch College (CUNY). New York, Nov. 14. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2011
Marin, Tania and Laura Juszczak. "A Study of Unfolding and the Beta Sheet to Alpha Helix Conformational Switch in Beta Lactoglobulin" poster. 54th International Biophysical Society Annual Meeting. San Francisco, Feb. 20-24. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2010
Juszczak, L. and R. Desamero. "Extension of the Chi(2,1) Dihedral Angle - W3 Band Frequency Relationship to a Full Rotation: Correlations and Caveats" poster. 53rd International Biophysical Society Meeting. Boston, Feb. 28-March 4. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2009
Professional Leadership
Brooklyn College Campus Sustainability/Energy Pillar (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2019
Sept. 2018 Co-coordinator for BC LSAMP program, part of the CUNY NSF-LSAMP program to increase underrepresented minority participation in STEM majors with the goal of increasing post-graduate STEM studies. (Professional Leadership: Organizational Leadership Position) 2018
Biochemistry Department, CUNY Graduate Center, executive and admissions committee representative (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2015
University Faculty Senate representative. (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2013
Undergraduate science fair judge, NYC Science and Engineering Fair. City College of New York (CUNY). New York, March 4. (Professional Leadership: Public Service) 2012
Arrangements co-coordinator, 25th Annual H. Martin Friedman Lecture, Brooklyn College, October. (Professional Leadership: Organizational Leadership Position) 2009
Faculty Membership Committee, Biochemistry Department, CUNY Graduate Center. (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2008
Member, Graduate Curriculum Committee, Brooklyn College Faculty Council. (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2008
Pedagogical Achievements
CHEM 4620. Student Independent Researdh Project: Ligand docking in the mu-Opioid Receptor using Chimera and AutoDock Vina freeware. This project was first introduced into in Spring 2020 and has been further developed 2021
Chemistry 1007: Curriculum revision implemented in fall semester. Emphasis of the curriculum away from environmental climate change to the chemistry of food and cooking with a focus on food sustainability. A secondary text was required, "The Kitchen as Laboratory" by C. Vega, J. Ubbink and E. van der Linden. All lecture components were made online: etext, which allowed for use of McGraw-Hill interactive querying while reading, and e-problem set submission and grading. YouTube lecture-demonstration videos on cooking procedures and chemical concepts were integrated into the lecture. 2014
Lecturer, BICM 88800, "Protein Adsorption to Surfaces." Biochemistry Department, CUNY Graduate Center. 2010
Undergraduate mentor for Barnard College student Viktoriya Rutkovskaya, on "Fluorescence Excitatation and Emission Study of Indole in Graduated Solutions of N-pentane and N-butanol." June-July. 2010
Visiting master's student mentor for Fenneke KleinJan of Gronningen University, the Netherlands, on master's thesis chapter, "UV Resonance Raman Analysis of Proteins With Highly Blue-shifted Tryptophan Fluorescence." November 2009-May 2010. 2010
Visiting scientist collaboration. Sarah Paquette, Ph.D., professor, College of the Menominee Nation. Keshena, Wis. Development of a program for two-dimensional correlation analysis using Mathematica software. June-July. 2010
Community Activities
Brooklyn College/CUNY representative, NIH Graduate & Professional School Fair, Natcher Conference Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md., July 8. 2010
Other Professional Activities
"Spectroscopic Study of Blue-shifted Tryptophan Fluorescence in Proteins" seminar and outreach. College of the Menominee Nation. Keshena, Wis., Oct. 26. 2010
"Spectroscopic Study of Blue-shifted Tryptophan Fluorescence in Proteins" seminar. Department of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology. Chicago, Oct. 25. 2010
MBRS - Support of Competitive Research SCORE Program meeting. National Institutes of Health. Bethesda, Md., Dec. 2-3. 2010
PSC-CUNY Panel on Grant Awards in Chemistry. 2010
Attended "Drug Discovery for Neurodegeneration." Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation Conference. Washington, D.C., Feb. 4-5. 2008
U.S. Provisional Patent Application no. 60/802,972, for "Methods of Dissolving beta-Sheet Proteins and Uses Thereof." 2006
