Bruce Armitage
Professor and Co-Director | Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA, UNITED STATES
Bruce Armitage’s current research interests include the use of PNA for sequence-specific recognition of DNA and RNA.
Biography
Bruce was born in Niagara Falls (NY) and raised in Lewiston (NY), a few miles downstream from the Falls. He attended the University of Rochester and received his Bachelor's of Science degree in Chemistry in 1988. He performed undergraduate research with Professor David G. Whitten, studying photochemical reactions in organized media such as reversed micelles and lipid bilayers. Bruce also spent two summers working in the labs of Drs. Samir Farid and Ian Gould at Eastman Kodak Company, studying the relationship between the thermodynamics and the kinetics of electron transfer reactions within the Marcus inverted region.
Bruce performed his Ph.D. work at the University of Arizona, studying photoinduced electron transfer, energy transfer and polymerization reactions within lipid bilayers under the supervision of Professor David F. O'Brien. After completing his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1993, he joined Professor Gary B. Schuster's group at the University of Illinois as a postdoctoral fellow, working on the design of new DNA photocleavage agents.
Bruce moved to Georgia Tech with the Schuster group in 1995 to continue this work. Bruce then spent the summer of 1997 in Denmark, working in the labs of Professors Peter E. Nielsen and Henrik Nielsen at the University of Copenhagen, studying the interactions between peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomers and RNA.
In August of 1997, Bruce moved to Carnegie Mellon University as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry. He was promoted to Associate and then Full Professor of Chemistry, with courtesy appointments in the Departments of Biological Sciences and Biomedical Engineering. In 2007, Bruce co-founded the Center for Nucleic Acids Science and Technology, which he co-directs with John Woolford of the Department of Biological Sciences. In 2011, Bruce and Danith Ly co-founded PNA Innovations, Inc, a biotechnology startup company that is commercializing gammaPNA technology under an exclusive license from Carnegie Mellon.
Bruce takes great pleasure in teaching undergraduate organic chemistry and graduate courses in medicinal chemistry and sensors. Bruce’s current research interests include the use of PNA for sequence-specific recognition of DNA and RNA and the development of new fluorescence imaging and sensing reagents.
Areas of Expertise (5)
Peptide Nucleic Acids
DNA Nanotechnology
Bioorganic Chemistry
Fluorescent Dyes
Molecular Evolution
Media
Publications:
Documents:
Videos:
Audio/Podcasts:
Industry Expertise (3)
Research
Education/Learning
Chemicals
Accomplishments (5)
William and Frances Ryan Award for Meritorious Teaching (professional)
2011 Carnegie Mellon University
Non-tenured Faculty Award (professional)
2001 3M Corp.
National Society of Collegiate Scholars “Outstanding Professor” (professional)
2001 Carnegie Mellon Chapter
Julius Ashkin Teaching Award (professional)
2004
Faculty and Staff Leadership Award (professional)
2003
Education (2)
University of Rochester: B.S., Chemistry 1988
University of Arizona: Ph.D., Chemistry 1993
Affiliations (1)
- American Chemical Society journal Langmuir : Senior Editor
Links (3)
Patents (2)
Enhanced biomolecule detection assays based on tyramide signal amplification and gammaPNA probes
US11124822B2
2021-09-21
Provided herein are methods of detecting target analytes, such as nucleic acids, for example microRNAs using an enhanced Tyramide Signal Amplification (TSA) method that employs probes tagged with tyramide-binding groups to amplify the effects of the TSA. The accessibility of the tyramide-binding groups, such as hydroxyphenyl groups, provides for large improvements in signal due to faster reaction with the radicals. The present invention further includes the application of the assay for detecting specific microRNAs.
Nucleic acid-polymer conjugates for bright fluorescent tags
US10982266B2
2021-04-20
A composition includes a polymer including extending chains, side chains, or branches. One (or more) of a plurality of a first strand of nucleic acid is attached to each of a plurality of the side chains. One (or more) of a plurality of a second strand of nucleic acid, which is complementary to the first strand of nucleic acid, is complexed to each of the plurality of the first strand of nucleic acid to form a double strand of nucleic acid on each of the plurality of the side chains. At least one fluorescent compound is associated with the double strand of nucleic acid on each of the plurality of the side chains.
Articles (5)
Targeting a Potential G-Quadruplex Forming Sequence Found in the West Nile Virus Genome by Complementary Gamma-Peptide Nucleic Acid Oligomers
ACS Infectious Diseases2021 In the United States, West Nile virus (WNV) infects approximately 2500 people per year, of which 100–200 cases are fatal. No antiviral drug or vaccine is currently available for WNV. In this study, we designed gamma-modified peptide nucleic acid (γPNA) oligomers to target a newly identified guanine-rich gene sequence in the WNV genome. The target is found in the NS5 protein-coding region and was previously predicted to fold into a G-quadruplex (GQ) structure.
Enhanced Hybridization Selectivity Using Structured GammaPNA Probes
Molecules2020 High affinity nucleic acid analogues such as gammaPNA (γPNA) are capable of invading stable secondary and tertiary structures in DNA and RNA targets but are susceptible to off-target binding to mismatch-containing sequences. We introduced a hairpin secondary structure into a γPNA oligomer to enhance hybridization selectivity compared with a hairpin-free analogue. The hairpin structure features a five base PNA mask that covers the proximal five bases of the γPNA probe, leaving an additional five γPNA bases available as a toehold for target hybridization.
Assembly and Characterization of RNA/DNA Hetero-G-Quadruplexes
Biochemistry2020 Transient association of guanine-rich RNA and DNA in the form of hetero-G-quadruplexes (RDQs) has emerged as an important mechanism for regulating genome transcription and replication but relatively little is known about the structure and biophysical properties of RDQs compared with DNA and RNA homo-G-quadruplexes. Herein, we report the assembly and characterization of three RDQs based on sequence motifs found in human telomeres and mitochondrial nucleic acids.
Enhanced Hybridization Selectivity Using Structured GammaPNA Probes
Molecules2020 High affinity nucleic acid analogues such as gammaPNA (γPNA) are capable of invading stable secondary and tertiary structures in DNA and RNA targets but are susceptible to off-target binding to mismatch-containing sequences. We introduced a hairpin secondary structure into a γPNA oligomer to enhance hybridization selectivity compared with a hairpin-free analogue.
Structural basis for activation of fluorogenic dyes by an RNA aptamer lacking a G-quadruplex motif
Nature Communications2018 The DIR2s RNA aptamer, a second-generation, in-vitro selected binder to dimethylindole red (DIR), activates the fluorescence of cyanine dyes, DIR and oxazole thiazole blue (OTB), allowing detection of two well-resolved emission colors. Using Fab BL3-6 and its cognate hairpin as a crystallization module, we solved the crystal structures of both the apo and OTB-SO3 bound forms of DIR2s at 2.0 Å and 1.8 Å resolution, respectively. DIR2s adopts a compact, tuning fork-like architecture comprised of a helix and two short stem-loops oriented in parallel to create the ligand binding site through tertiary interactions.
Social