Peter Woodruff
Professor of Chemistry
Director of the Quality Control Collaboratory (QC2)
Education
- PhD, Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Berkeley
- BA, Biophysical Chemistry, Dartmouth College
Dr. Woodruff joined the USM Chemistry faculty in 2010. He is a biochemist who studies how microbial stress protectants can be harnessed for the development of new antibiotics. Dr. Woodruff regularly teaches Biochemistry (CHY 461), Biochemistry Laboratory (CHY 462), and Biochemistry II (CHY 463), as well as the Chemistry Capstone (CHY 470).
Dr. Woodruff is also the director of the Quality Control Collaboratory (QC2), which offers laboratory analysis and testing for the craft beverage industry, while providing authentic lab experience and research opportunities for USM undergraduate students. If you’re interested in conducting biomedical research in the Woodruff Lab, or becoming a lab technician at QC2, please email Dr. Woodruff to discuss joining the lab.
Research interests
Biochemistry is the study of how chemical principles can explain biological systems, and be used to address pressing issues such as infectious disease. The Woodruff Lab is focused on trehalose, a microbial stress protectant not found in humans, but present in pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Clostridioides difficile. Altering the structure of trehalose can result in a potent antimicrobial compound that interferes with bacterial metabolism. Unfortunately, it can take months of work to synthesize even a small amount of one of these compounds using traditional organic chemistry, limiting their utility.
However, living organisms synthesize trehalose quickly using enzymatic systems. We are using the enzyme TreT, which bacteria use to synthesize trehalose from simple substrates. If we feed an altered, commercially-available substrate to the enzyme, it will turn it into an altered trehalose. Unlike traditional organic synthesis, we can go from reaction to pure compound in as little as one hour. This allows us to ask questions and perform experiments that weren’t possible before.
Students who work in the Woodruff Lab are exposed to a variety of synthetic and analytical techniques, including genetic engineering, bacterial culture, protein purification, enzymatic assays, small molecule synthesis, purification (HPLC/column chromatography), and NMR.
This work is funded by the National Institutes of Health. If you’re interested in joining the Woodruff Lab, send me an email or stop by!
Selected Publications
Kalera, K., Stothard, A.I., Woodruff, P.J., and B.M. Swarts. “The role of chemoenzymatic synthesis in advancing trehalose analogues as tools for combatting bacterial pathogens.” Chem Commun. 2020 Oct 1;56(78):11528-11547
Danielson, N.D., Collins, J., Stothard, A.I., Dong, Q.Q., Kalera, K., Woodruff, P.J., DeBosch, B.J., Britton, R.A., and B.M. Swarts. “Degradation-resistant trehalose analogues block utilization of trehalose by hypervirulent Clostridioides difficile.” Chem Commun. 2019 Apr 23;55(34):5009-5012.
Peña-Zalbidea, S., Huang, A.Y., Kavunja, H.W., Salinas B, Desco, M., Drake, C., Woodruff, P.J., Vaquero, J.J., and B.M. Swarts. “Chemoenzymatic radiosynthesis of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-trehalose ([18F]-2-FDTre): A PET radioprobe for in vivo tracing of trehalose metabolism.”Carbohydr Res. 2019 Jan 15;472:16-22.
Groenevelt, J.M., Meints, L.M., Stothard, A.I., Poston, A.W., Fiolek, T.J., Finocchietti, D.H., Mulholand, V.M., Woodruff, P.J., and B.M. Swarts. “Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Trehalosamine, an Aminoglycoside Antibiotic and Precursor to Mycobacterial Imaging Probes.” J Org Chem. 2018 Aug 3;83(15):8662-8667.
Swarts, B.M. and P.J Woodruff. “Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Trehalose Analogs.” U.S. patent # 9,873,905. Filed March 6, 2015 and issued January 23rd, 2018.
Wolber, J.M., Urbanek, B.L., Meints, L.M., Piligian, B.F., Lopez-Casillas, I.C., Zochowski, K.M., Woodruff, P.J., and B.M. Swarts. “The trehalose-specific transporter LpqY-SugABC is required for antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity of trehalose analogues in Mycobacterium smegmatis.” Carbohydr Res. 2017 Oct 10;450:60-66.
O'Neill, M.K., Piligian, B.F., Olson, C.D., Woodruff, P.J., and B.M. Swarts. “Tailoring Trehalose for Biomedical and Biotechnological Applications.” Pure Appl Chem. 2017 Sep;89(9):1223-1249.
Meints, L.M., Poston, A.W., Piligian, B.F., Olson, C.D., Badger, K.S., Woodruff, P.J., and B.M. Swarts. “Rapid One-Step Enzymatic Synthesis and All-Aqueous Purification of Trehalose Analogues.” J Vis Exp. 2017 Feb 17;(120).
Rundell, S.R., Wagar, Z.L., Meints, L.M., Olson, C.D., O'Neill, M.K., Piligian, B.F., Poston, A.W., Hood, R.J., Woodruff, P.J., and B.M. Swarts. “Deoxyfluoro-D-trehalose (FDTre) analogues as potential PET probes for imaging mycobacterial infection.” Org Biomol Chem. 2016 Sep 28;14(36):8598-609.
Urbanek, B.L., Wing, D.D., Haislop, K.S., Hamel, C, Kalscheuer, R., Woodruff, P.J., and B.M. Swarts. “Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Trehalose Analogues: Rapid Access to Probes for Investigating Mycobacteria.” Chembiochem. 2014 Sep 22;15(14): 2066-70.
Frederick, T.M., Taylor, E.A., Willis, J.L., Shultz, M.S., and P.J. Woodruff, “Chromate reduction is expedited by bacteria engineered to produce the compatible solute trehalose”, Biotechnology Letters, 35, 1291-1296, (2013).
Frederick, T.M. and P.J. Woodruff. “Bacteria with increased trehalose production and method for using the same in bioremediation.” U.S. patent # 8,481,026. Filed April 16, 2010 and issued July 13, 2013.
Woodruff P.J., Carlson B.L., Siridechadilok B., Pratt M.R., Senaratne R.H., Mougous J.D., Riley L.W., Williams S.J., and C.R. Bertozzi. “Trehalose is required for the growth of Mycobacterium smegmatis.” J. Biol Chem., 279(28) 28835-43, 2004.
Education
- PhD, Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Berkeley
- BA, Biophysical Chemistry, Dartmouth College