Areas I Teach
Course Information
At Pacific University, all faculty teach a variety of different courses. Typically, we do not use graduate teaching assistants, which means that your classes will be taught by professors and that you will have plenty of opportunities to get to know the faculty in your discipline.
Below I have listed some of the courses that I teach. We are always developing and trying out new classes, so the list may change now and then.
CHEM 220 | General Chemistry I
CHEM 240 | Survey of Organic Chemistry
CHEM 380 | Biochemistry I
CHEM 480 | Biochemistry II
CHEM 481 | Biochemistry Laboratory
Education
PhD in Biochemistry, Utah State University, Logan, Utah in 2001
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah in 1991
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah in 1991
Areas of Research & Specialization
Protein structure - function relationships of metalloenzymes. Studies in my lab focus on the bacterial enzymes of the global nitrogen cycle, the ecology of which can have substantial impacts to both agricultural productivity and water quality. Specifically, I am investigating the mechanism of the Mo-nitrogenase, which catalyzes biological nitrogen fixation (N2 to NH3), and the biosynthesis of nitrous oxide reductase, a copper-containing enzyme which catalyzes the last step of the denitrification pathway (N2O to N2).
Published Works
Chan, J. M., Bollinger, J. A., Grewell, C. L., Dooley, D. M. (2004) "Reductively activated nitrous oxide reductase reacts directly with substrate." J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126, 3030-3031.
Sorlie, M., Chan, J. M., Wang, H., Seefeldt, L. C., Parker, V. D. (2003) "Elucidating thermodynamic parameters for electron transfer proteins using isothermal titration calorimetry: Application to the nitrogenase Fe protein." J. Biol. Inorg. Chem. 8, 560-566.
Chan, J. M., Wu, W., Dean, D. R., and Seefeldt, L. C. (2000) "Construction and characterization of a heterodimeric Fe protein: Defining roles for ATP in nitrogenase catalysis. Biochemistry 39, 7221-7228."
Christiansen, J., Chan, J. M., Seefeldt, L. C., and Dean, D. R. (2000) "The role of the MoFe protein a-125Phe and beta-125Phe residues in Azotobacter vinelandii MoFe protein-Fe protein interaction." J. Inorg. Biochem. 80, 195-204
Chan, J. M., Christiansen, J., Dean, D. R., and Seefeldt, L. C. (1999) "Spectroscopic evidence for changes in the redox state of the nitrogenase P-cluster during turnover." Biochemistry 34, 5779-5785.
Chan, J. M., Ryle, M. J., and Seefeldt, L. C. (1999) "Evidence that MgATP accelerates primary electron transfer in a Clostridium pasteurianum Fe protein-Azotobacter vinelandii MoFe protein nitrogenase tight complex." J. Biol. Chem. 274, 17593-17598.
Cool Biochemistry Links
Medline: Biochemistry Literature Database from the National Institutes of Healt
Medlineplus: Website for accessing general medical information.
Biochemical and Metabolic Pathways Chart
Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM): Database of genetic disease
Biochemical Journal Titles and Abbreviations
Lasker Award for Medical Research: Educational information and awardee interviews
Howard Hughes Medical Institute's 2002 Holiday Lectures on Science
Tulane University's Environmental Estrogens website
EPA Columbia River Fish Contaminant Survey
Cornell University Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors Program