Chemist Keary Engle Receives NIH's Outstanding Investigator Award
August 15, 2017
Keary M. Engle, an assistant professor of chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), has been awarded a $1.25 million grant from NIH's National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). The R35 grant, also known as an Outstanding Investigator Award and Maximizing Investigators Research Award (MIRA) for Early Stage Investigators, will support the Engle Laboratory's development of powerful new molecule-building techniques for drug discovery.
The five-year award provides general, long-term support for research programs that are deemed especially promising. It is aimed at scientists who are just starting their careers to help free them from the usual pressure to compete for shorter-term grants.
The Outstanding Investigator Award provides the security of knowing money is coming in without a competitive renewal in a couple years, so we can focus on the science rather than fundraising, Engle said.
Engle, 31, obtained his Ph.D. in chemistry from TSRI and D.Phil. in Biochemistry from the University Oxford in 2013 as part of the Skaggs-Oxford Scholarship program and after postdoctoral work at Caltech, returned to the Institute as a faculty member two years ago. His laboratory focuses on the development of chemical reactions to transform relatively simple, cheap, feedstock organic compounds into more complex molecules that could be highly valuable as lifesaving drugs, for example.
Methods for converting chemical feedstocks into structurally and functionally rich target molecules have been lacking, and that has really hamstrung a lot of drug discovery research, he said.
Engle's specific plan is an ambitious one: to develop a suite of metal-catalyzed reactions for adding two functional groups selectively to adjacent carbon atoms on alkenes and alkynes two very large classes of organic molecules that include many cheap feedstock compounds. Adding functional groups side by side like this can be a quick way to make compounds that can engage a biological target. It's a challenging task, though, and the current methods for achieving it are often too cumbersome, limited in scope, and expensive for routine use.
Engle aims to develop more practical and sustainable methods that don't require dozens of steps, consume a lot of reagents, require extreme conditions or leave a lot of toxic byproducts yet do give chemists the molecule-building power they need over a wide range of applications.
Our goal is to develop an inherently combinatorial, catalytic platform for introducing any two functional groups to alkenes or alkynes in a programmable fashion, he said.
When fully realized, the platform should enable researchers to create with relative ease libraries of thousands of new compounds, including many that have never been practically accessible via organic synthesis, using cheap alkenes and alkynes. That in turn could mean the development of many new drugs and other chemical products, from laboratory probes to plastics.
Engle has collaborations underway with other, more pharma-oriented, scientists at TSRI and at TSRI's translational arm, Calibr, and has been making steady progress toward his goals. In one paper that came out earlier this month, he and members of his lab described a new reaction to add nitrogen- and carbon-containing groups across a carbon-carbon double bond in a highly selective way. The chemists demonstrated the new method by using it to prepare four existing drug compounds plus a variant of one of them.
This new method shows that our chemistry can be a versatile tool for quickly accessing chemical motifs or structures that are known to be biologically active, Engle said. We think that ultimately it will be a very powerful platform for making libraries of promising molecules for drug discovery.
After just two years in operation, the Engle Laboratory already employs a dozen graduate students and postdoctoral scholars and has several undergraduate and high school interns as well.
Starting out, we were supported generously from TSRI funds and a donation from Pfizer, so we've been able to grow nicely before federal grant money kicked in, and now that the grant money is there too, we're on a healthy trajectory, Engle said.
Chemistry Engle, Keary Awards and Honors Alumni
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
Chemist Keary Engle Receives NIH's Outstanding Investigator Award 
