LIsa M. Landino
Professor
Research Area:
Biological
Email:
[[lmland]]
Office / Research Lab:
ISC 1283 / ISC 1247
Webpage:
{{https://people.wm.edu/~lmland/index.html}}
Office Phone:
(757) 221-2554
Areas of Specialization
Reactive oxygen species and photochemical reactions of catechols and quinones.Background
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) form as normal byproducts of O2 reduction to H2O or under conditions of oxidative stress (illness, auto-immune conditions). While most ROS are scavenged by enzymes and cellular or dietary antioxidants, as we age, ROS oxidation of proteins accumulates and is associated with diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
We study both antioxidant and pro-oxidant reactions of catechols, a class of molecules that includes the neurotransmitter, dopamine and catechins from green tea. Further, we are studying photoreduction of quinones using chlorophyll metabolites and red light. This novel reaction of dietary chlorophyll is intriguing because it suggests a path to reuse dietary catechol antioxidants. Protein damage by oxidants remains an area of interest.
