Disputas - Master of Science Ryan Scott Wilkins

Master of Science Ryan Scott Wilkins will Monday February 26th, 2024, at 12:15 hold his disputas for the PhD degree in Science. The title of his thesis is:

"Mechanisms of enzyme adaptation to extreme environments: The rational design of a thermophilic chorismate mutase"

Summary:

Extremophiles, especially those living in high-temperature environments, exhibit
unique enzymatic mechanisms that allow survival under conditions detrimental to
most life forms. Of particular interest is thermophiles, which are able to thrive at
temperatures at which psychrophiles and mesophiles unfold and cease to function.
The mechanisms by which these enzymes are able to overcome this temperature
extreme are not yet well understood, leading to an increasing interest in studying
how they function. Thermophiles have a multitude of applications under extreme
conditions in industrial processes such as pharmaceuticals, waste management,
and textiles, so a more complete understanding of these molecular mechanisms
can lead to the development of novel enzymes for these purposes.

Evaluation committee:

• Professor Fahmi Himo, Department of Organic Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University (1. Opponent)
• Professor Ute Krengel, Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo (2. Opponent)
• Professor Luca Frediani, Department of Chemistry, UiT (intern member and leader of the committee)

Supervisors:

• Professor Bjørn Olav Brandsdal, Department of Chemistry, UiT (main supervisor)
• Professor Geir Villy Isaksen, Helse Nord IKT
• Post.doc. Bjarte Aarmo Lund, Department of Chemistry, UiT

Streaming site:

Thesis