Chemistry and Biochemistry
Department Chair
Professor Burkart's laboratory focuses on three major areas of research. The first is regarding the chemical biology of natural product biosynthesis. His lab has developed several technologies to study secondary metabolite-producing pathways and their producer organisms. His area of focus is the protein-protein interactions (PPIs) of fatty acid synthases (FASs), polyketide synthases (PKSs), and non-ribosomal peptide synthases (NRPSs). The second major project relates to drug discovery. Recently, the spliceosome has garnered much attention due to its implication in many cancers. Professor Burkart's lab has developed a medicinal chemistry and chemical biology program to bring new therapeutics into the clinic as well as to probe the mechanistic undertones of how splicing is affected and altered. Finally, his third project is in regards to algae biotechnology and how algae has emerged as an attractive feedstock for the mass production of a renewable source due to its fast growth rate, and flexible habitat preferences. The potential of algae biotechnology is the most promising for green materials to produce polymers such as polyurethane, polyhydroxy urethanes, and polyester.
Bio
Since joining UC San Diego in 2002, Professor Burkart, with a background in Chemistry and Biochemistry, has made significant contributions over the past two decades. His research has focused on developing technologies to study and apply natural products, utilizing a range of techniques such as chemical, biochemical, and structural biology to uncover protein-protein interactions within enzymatic complexes. This work has implications for drug discovery, renewable fuels, and biomaterials. Burkart is also a co-founder of Algenesis, a company creating high-performance, renewable, and fully biodegradable polyurethanes from algae, and Aspera Biomedicines, a startup specializing in RNA modulatory and immuno-oncology drugs. His academic achievements include a B.A. in Chemistry from Rice University, a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from The Scripps Research Institute, and accolades such as an NSF CAREER Award and a Sloan Research Fellowship. Burkart is recognized as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Royal Society of Chemistry, and he has received the UC San Diego Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Postdoctoral Scholar Mentoring. He also co-directs the Chemistry-Biology Interfaces NIH Training Program.