Faculty and Research

Biography

Dr. Kersten Schroeder is an Associate Professor of Medicine (teaching-track) in Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences at UCF College of Medicine. He is teaching Molecular Biology, Medical Biochemistry, Quantitative Biological Methods, and Microbial Metabolism.

He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Florida State University in 2006 in the laboratory of Dr. Nancy Greenbaum studying RNA-RNA and RNA-protein interactions in the spliceosome using biochemical and biophysical techniques. After graduation, he moved to Scotland and worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Cancer Research UK Nucleic Acid Research Group at University of Dundee under the guidance of Professor David Lilley, FRS. While in the United Kingdom, he developed an interest in RNA folding and studied an RNA structural motif called the kink turn (k-turn). He studied the folding of various k-turn RNA sequences by metal ions and proteins, which led to the question of whether RNA tertiary interactions can stabilize k-turn RNA elements. By studying the SAM-I riboswitch, we were able to determine that RNA tertiary interactions can stabilize a k-turn RNA element that was shown not to fold in isolation. While studying the k-turn RNA motif, he develop an interest in Computational Biology and was the lead developer for the k-turns in RNA database.

In 2012, he moved back to Florida and became Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) in Bradenton, Florida. During his time there, he taught medical students and pharmacy student. He also organized several high school science outreach programs. His research projects including RNA folding, RNA-drug interactions, opioid receptor-drug interactions, and a specific nuclear receptor-drug interactions using molecular docking. He is also very active in Science Outreach programs and hopes to develop a research program on Science Communication & Outreach.

Publications:

  1. Perea, W., Schroeder, K.T., Bryant, A.N., and Greenbaum, N.L. 2016. Interaction between the spliceosomal pre-mRNA branch site and U2 snRNP protein p14. Biochemistry 55(4):629-32.
  2. Holloran, D. and Schroeder, K.T. 2015. Engaging High School Students with Problem Based Learning. The Florida Association of Science Teachers Journal. 2015 Winter Edition pg 19-23 (published in January 2015).
  3. Daldrop, P., Huang, L., Schroeder, K.T., Wang, J. and Lilley, D.M.J. 2013. Kink turn structural motif in RNA. In RNA Nanotechnology and Therapeutics (eds. P. Guo and F. Haque), pg. 59-72. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
  4. Wang, J., Fessl, T., Schroeder, K.T., Ouellet, J.,Yijin Liu, Y., Freeman, A.D.J. and Lilley, D.M.J. 2012. Single-molecule observation of the induction of k-turn RNA structure on binding L7Ae protein. Biophysical Journal 103:2541-2548.
  5. Popović, M, Nelson, J.D., Schroeder, K.T. and Greenbaum, N.L. 2012. Impact of base pair identity 5′ to the spliceosomal branch site adenosine on branch site conformation.  RNA 18:2093-103.
  6. Schroeder, K.T., Daldrop, P. and Lilley, D.M.J. 2012. Structure and folding of a rare, natural kink turn in RNA with an A•A pair at the 2b•2n position. RNA 18:1257-1266.
  7. Schroeder, K.T., Daldrop, P. and Lilley, D.M.J. 2011. RNA tertiary interactions in a riboswitch stabilize the structure of a kink turn. Structure 19:1233-1240 (feature article).
  8. Schroeder, K.T., McPhee, S.A., Ouellet, J. and Lilley, D.M.J. 2010. A structural database for k-turn motifs in RNA. RNA 16:1463-1468.
  9. Schroeder, K.T. and Lilley, D.M.J. 2009. Ion-induced folding of a kink turn that departs from the conventional sequence. Nucleic Acid Research 37:7281-7289 (feature article).
  10. Schroeder, K.T., Skalicky, J.J. and Greenbaum, N.L. 2005. NMR spectroscopy of RNA duplexes containing pseudouridine in supercooled water. RNA 11:1012-1016.
  11. Xiong, Y., Schroeder, K., Greenbaum, N.L., Hendrickson, C.L. and Marshall, A.G. 2004. Improved mass analysis of oligoribonucleotides by 13C,15N double depletion and electrospray ionization FT-ICR mass spectrometry. Analytical Chemistry 76:1804-1809.
  12. Rodriguez, S., Schroeder, K.T., Kayser, M.M. and Stewart, J.D. 2000. Asymmetric synthesis of beta-hydroxy esters and alpha-alkyl-beta-hydroxy esters by recombinant Escherichia coli expressing enzymes from baker’s yeast. Journal of Organic Chemistry 65: 2586-2587.

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