Alper lab

We study molecular causes of amyloid and metabolic diseases, emphasizing academic and professional development of student researchers.

Projects in the lab seek to: 1. Characterize mechanisms of substrate recognition by human insulin-degrading enzyme and related proteases in clearance of amyloid peptides and metabolic hormones, and 2. identify and characterize small molecule inhibitors of human insulin-degrading enzyme and other chemotherapeutic targets through rational drug discovery.

The biochemistry lab at Sacred Heart University hosts around 100 undergraduate and 20 graduate students per year as part of the undergraduate introductory biochemistry and graduate biochemical analysis curricula.

We are working with collaborators at Sacred Heart University, Fairfield University, and elsewhere to develop new and exciting ideas and areas of research.

Publications

▪ 2022 Molecular structure from models to mastery: an inquiry-based study of human insulin-degrading enzyme. Araujo MA, Barrere AA, Tirado S-R, Williams CE, Strada MI, Alper BJ. Journal of Chemical Education. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c01285

▪ 2021 (preprint) Ghrelin proteolysis by insulin-degrading enzyme. Bocach DD, Jones KL, Bell JM, Zheng Q, Lazo ND, Smith-Carpenter JE, Alper BJ. BioRxiv. DOI: 10.1101/2021.06.10.447714

▪ 2018 Molecular determinants of substrate specificity in human insulin-degrading enzyme. Stefanidis L, Fusco ND, Cooper SE, Smith-Carpenter JE, Alper BJ. Biochemistry. 57(32): 4903-4914

DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00474

▪ 2018 Functional requirement for human pitrilysin metallopeptidase 1 arginine 183, mutated in amyloidogenic neuropathy. Smith-Carpenter JE, Alper BJ. Protein Science. 27(4):861-873

▪ 2018 Bisubstrate kinetics of glutathione S-transferase: a colorimetric experiment for the introductory biochemistry laboratory. Stefanidis L, Scinto K, Strada MI, Alper BJ. Journal of Chemical Education.

95(1):146-151

▪ 2017 Efficient synthesis of α-fluoromethylhistidine di-hydrochloride and demonstration of its efficacy as a glutathione S-transferase inhibitor. Considine KL, Stefanidis L, Grozinger KG, Audie J*, Alper BJ*. *Co-corresponding. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters. 27(6):1335-1340

https://works.bepress.com/benjamin_alper/