Faculty Profiles

Katherine J. Franz
Katherine J. Franz
Professor in the Department of Chemistry
Office: 
2103 French Science Center, 124 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708
Phone: 
(919) 660-1541
katherine.franz@duke.edu
Franz Research Group
Research Interests: 

Research in the Franz group is involved in elucidating the structural and functional consequences of metal ion coordination in biological systems. We are particularly interested in understanding the coordination chemistry utilized by biology to manage essential yet toxic species like copper and iron. Understanding these principles further guides our development of new chemical tools to manipulate biological metal ion location, speciation, and reactivity for potential therapeutic benefit. We use a combination of synthesis, spectroscopy, and biochemistry in our work. Please visit our group website to learn more about our research.

Overview

Education:

Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2000

B.A., Wellesley College 1995

Research Areas:
Biomolecular Structure and Function, Inorganic

Hunsaker, Elizabeth W., et al. “Fluconazole analogues with metal-binding motifs impact metal-dependent processes and demonstrate antifungal activity in Candida albicans.” Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry : Jbic : A Publication of the Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, June 2020. Epmc, doi:10.1007/s00775-020-01796-x. Full Text

Bakthavatsalam, Subha, et al. “Dithiocarbamate prodrugs activated by prostate specific antigen to target prostate cancer.” Bioorg Med Chem Lett, vol. 30, no. 11, June 2020, p. 127148. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127148. Full Text

Jackson, Abigail C., et al. “A Cephalosporin Prochelator Inhibits New Delhi Metallo-β-lactamase 1 without Removing Zinc.” Acs Infectious Diseases, vol. 6, no. 5, May 2020, pp. 1264–72. Epmc, doi:10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00083. Full Text

Gallo, Annastassia D., and Katherine J. Franz. “Grab 'n Go: Siderophore-Binding Proteins Provide Pathogens a Quick Fix to Satisfy Their Hunger for Iron.” Acs Central Science, vol. 6, no. 4, Apr. 2020, pp. 456–58. Epmc, doi:10.1021/acscentsci.0c00179. Full Text

Zaengle-Barone, Jacqueline M., et al. “Correction to Copper Influences the Antibacterial Outcomes of a β-Lactamase-Activated Prochelator against Drug-Resistant Bacteria.” Acs Infectious Diseases, vol. 6, no. 4, Apr. 2020, p. 759. Epmc, doi:10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00082. Full Text

Garcia-Santamarina, Sarela, et al. “A lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase-like protein functions in fungal copper import and meningitis.” Nat Chem Biol, vol. 16, no. 3, Mar. 2020, pp. 337–44. Pubmed, doi:10.1038/s41589-019-0437-9. Full Text

Hunsaker, Elizabeth W., and Katherine J. Franz. “Candida albicans reprioritizes metal handling during fluconazole stress.” Metallomics : Integrated Biometal Science, vol. 11, no. 12, Dec. 2019, pp. 2020–32. Epmc, doi:10.1039/c9mt00228f. Full Text

Hunsaker, Elizabeth W., and Katherine J. Franz. “Emerging Opportunities To Manipulate Metal Trafficking for Therapeutic Benefit.” Inorganic Chemistry, vol. 58, no. 20, Oct. 2019, pp. 13528–45. Epmc, doi:10.1021/acs.inorgchem.9b01029. Full Text

Hunsaker, Elizabeth W., and Katherine J. Franz. “Copper potentiates azole antifungal activity in a way that does not involve complex formation.” Dalton Transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003), vol. 48, no. 26, July 2019, pp. 9654–62. Epmc, doi:10.1039/c9dt00642g. Full Text

Franz, Katherine J. “Metallomics: Emerging Investigators 2019.” Metallomics : Integrated Biometal Science, vol. 11, no. 1, Jan. 2019, pp. 9–14. Epmc, doi:10.1039/c8mt90047g. Full Text

Pages

Wang, Q., and K. J. Franz. “Detection of Metal Ions, Anions and Small Molecules Using Metal Complexes.” Inorganic Chemical Biology: Principles, Techniques and Applications, vol. 9781118510025, 2014, pp. 233–74. Scopus, doi:10.1002/9781118682975.ch8. Full Text

Franz, Katherine J. “Chemical Approaches for Manipulating Microbial Metals.” Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, vol. 22, SPRINGER, 2017, pp. S215–S215.

Franz, Katherine J. “Manipulating metals at the host-pathogen interface.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 247, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2014.

Franks, Andrew, et al. “Development of stimulus-responsive metal chelation with novel fluorescence reporting.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 245, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2013.

Franz, Katherine J. “Optimizing prochelators to bind metal ions in response to disease-associated stimuli[p].” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 243, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2012.

Folk, Drew S., et al. “BACE activated prochelator mediates A beta-Cu toxicity in an Alzheimer's disease cell model.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 243, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2012.

Zielonka, Jacek, et al. “Dual Antioxidant Activity of Boronate-Based Prochelators: Scavenging Peroxynitrite and Metal Ion Chelation.” Free Radical Biology and Medicine, vol. 51, Elsevier BV, 2011, pp. S100–01. Crossref, doi:10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2011.10.480. Full Text

Franz, Katherine J. “Design of prochelators that bind cellular metal ions in response to diverse stimuli.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 242, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2011.

Franz, Katherine J., and Kathryn L. Haas. “Insights into the role of histidine in Ctr1-dependent copper uptake.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 240, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2010.

Hyman, Lynne M., and Katherine J. Franz. “Development of triggereable chelating agents as probes for metal-induced oxidative stress.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 240, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2010.

Franz, Katherine J. “Recent developments in the design of triggerable chelating agents for altering metal coordination in biological settings.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 239, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2010.

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