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Biochemistry Program
Kristen Fox

Kristin M. Fox

Florence B. Sherwood Professor of Physical Sciences
Wold Center 216
(518) 388-6250
foxk@union.edu
Chemistry, Biochemistry

Research interests

Our lab studies metacaspases from the fungus Schizophyllum commune. Metacaspases are proteases, enzymes that cleave other proteins, and are involved in cell death and primitive immune responses. Metacaspases are regulated by changes in calcium concentration and autoproteolysis (self-cleavage). Currently we are using mutagenesis, activity assays and other techniques to better understand the structure-function relationships involved in these regulatory mechanisms.

Teaching interests

CHM 101 Introductory Chemistry I

CHM 110 Accelerated Introductory Chemistry

BCH 335 Survey of Biochemistry

BCH 382 Biochemistry: Structure and Catalysis

I teach courses for majors (in both general and analytical chemistry) and those for non-majors. In all of these, I engage students in rigorous, laboratory-based scientific inquiry.

Publications

  • Adam Lewis, Molly McDonald, Stephanie Scharbach, Stefan Hamaway, Melissa Plooster, Kyle Peters, Lynne Cassimeris, Kristin M Fox, Joseph M Tanski, and Laurie A. Tyler (2016) The chemical biology of Cu(II) complexes with imidazole or thiazole containing ligands: Synthesis, crystal structures and comparative biological activity. J. Inorg. Biochem. 157, 52-61.
  • Ramsey A. Steiner, David Forman, Han X. Lin, Bruce K. Carney, Kristin M. Fox, Lynne Cassimeris, Joseph M. Tanski, Laurie A. Tyler (2014) Synthesis, characterization, crystal structures and biological activity of a set of Cu(II) benzothiazole complexes: Artificial nucleases with cytotoxic activities. J. Inorg. Biochem. 137, 1-11.
  • John T. Tansey, Teaster Baird Jr., Michael M. Cox, Kristin M. Fox, Jennifer Knight, Duane Sears and Ellis Bell (2013) Foundational concepts and underlying theories for majors in “biochemistry and molecular biology. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 41(5) 289-296.
  • Scott D. Kirkton, Elizabeth T. Nyberg and Kristin M. Fox (2011) Ontogenetic changes in citrate synthase and lactate dehydrogenase activity in the jumping muscle of the American locust (Schistocerca americana). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 160 (2-3), 110-116.
  • Kristin M. Fox, Catherine White Berheide, Kimberley A. Frederick and Brenda Johnson (2010) Adapting Mentoring Programs to the Liberal Arts College Environment. Chapter 3 in Mentoring Strategies to Facilitate the Advancement of Women Faculty, Kerry Karukstis, Bridget L. Gourley, Miriam Rossi, and Laura L. Wright, Eds., American Chemical Society, Washington D.C.
  • VanRoey P., Waddling, C.A., Fox, K.M., Belfort, M., and Derbyshire (2001) Intertwined
  • structure of the DNA-binding domain of intron endonuclease I-TevI with its substrate. EMBO J. 20, 3631-3637.
  • Fox, K.M., Dias, J.A., and VanRoey, P. (2001) Three-dimensional structure of human follicle-stimulating hormone. Molecular Endocrinology 15, 378-389.
  • Fox, K.M. and Karplus, P.A. (1999) The flavin environment in old yellow enzyme. An evaluation of insights from spectroscopic and artificial flavin studies. J. Biol. Chem. 274, 9357-9362.
  • Fox, K.M., Maley, F., Garibian, A., Changchien, L. and Van Roey, P. (1999) Crystal structure of thymidylate synthase A from Bacillus subtilis. Protein Science 8, 538-544.
  • Karplus, P.A., Fox, K.M. and Massey, V. (1995) Structure-function relations for old yellow enzyme. FASEB J. 9, 1518-1526.

  • (* indicates a Union student co-author)Lakhena Leang*, Molly C. McDonald*, Charlotte R. Mineo*, Brandon Jones*, Travis Barker*, Connor Gagliardi*, Kristin M. Fox (2019) Identification and Characterization of Schizophyllum commune Type I Metacaspases. Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports 20, 100706-100712.

  • Adam Lewis*, Molly McDonald*, Stephanie Scharbach*, Stefan Hamaway*, Melissa Plooster, Kyle Peters, Lynne Cassimeris, Kristin M Fox, Joseph M Tanski, and Laurie A. Tyler (2016) The chemical biology of Cu(II) complexes with imidazole or thiazole containing ligands: Synthesis, crystal structures and comparative biological activity. J. Inorg. Biochem. 157, 52-61.

  • Ramsey A. Steiner, David Foreman*, Han X. Lin*, Bruce K. Carney, Kristin M. Fox, Lynne Cassimeris, Joseph M. Tanski, Laurie A. Tyler (2014) Synthesis, characterization, crystal structures and biological activity of a set of Cu(II) benzothiazole complexes: Artificial nucleases with cytotoxic activities. J. Inorg. Biochem. 137, 1-11.

  • John T. Tansey, Teaster Baird Jr., Michael M. Cox, Kristin M. Fox, Jennifer Knight, Duane Sears and Ellis Bell (2013) Foundational concepts and underlying theories for majors in “biochemistry and molecular biology. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 41(5) 289-296.

  • Scott D. Kirkton, Elizabeth T. Nyberg* and Kristin M. Fox (2011) Ontogenetic changes in citrate synthase and lactate dehydrogenase activity in the jumping muscle of the American locust (Schistocerca americana). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 160 (2-3), 110-116.

  • Kristin M. Fox, Catherine White Berheide, Kimberley A. Frederick and Brenda Johnson (2010) Adapting Mentoring Programs to the Liberal Arts College Environment. Chapter 3 in Mentoring Strategies to Facilitate the Advancement of Women Faculty, Kerry Karukstis, Bridget L. Gourley, Miriam Rossi, and Laura L. Wright, Eds., American Chemical Society, Washington D.C.

  • VanRoey P., Waddling, C.A., Fox, K.M., Belfort, M., and Derbyshire (2001) Intertwined structure of the DNA-binding domain of intron endonuclease I-TevI with its substrate. EMBO J. 20, 3631-3637.

  • Fox, K.M., Dias, J.A., and VanRoey, P. (2001) Three-dimensional structure of human follicle-stimulating hormone. Molecular Endocrinology 15, 378-389.


Additional media

Links

  • Chemical Demonstrations
  • The Protein Data Bank (PDB) is a repository for all solved protein structures. It gives coordinates for all atoms and other information about the protein structure.
  • NCBI holds the Genbank database of gene sequences. Within NCBI is a tool called BLAST which allows searching of a database of sequences for others which are similar to any input sequence.
  • Swiss-Prot is a database of protein sequences. It contains both those determined empirically and those translated from DNA sequences.
  • Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP) organizes proteins into families based on their structural similarities.

Academic credentials

B.S., Lafayette College; Ph.D., Cornell University
An interior view of Ainlay Hall, Union College's Integrated Science and Engineering Complex

Integrated Science and Engineering Complex (ISEC)

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Fax: (518) 388-6789