User:Kate Thodey: Difference between revisions

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{{Smolke_Top}}
==Contact Info==
==Contact Info==
[[Image:Kate_Thodey.jpg|right|thumb]]
[[Image:Kate_Thodey.jpg|right|thumb]]
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==Education==
==Education==
* 2010-present, Postdoc, Stanford University, CA, United States
* 2005-2009, PhD, John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
* 2005-2009, PhD, John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
* 2000-2003, BSc(Hons), University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
* 2000-2003, BSc(Hons), University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand


==Research interests==
==Research interests==
Many drugs are still produced the traditional way, by extraction from medicinal plants. In the Smolke laboratory we are working to take a drug biosynthetic pathway from a medicinal crop – the opium poppy – and engineer the production of the same therapeutic molecules in an industrial microbe, yeast.
Many drugs are still produced the traditional way; by extraction from medicinal plants. In many cases the alternative chemical syntheses of such compounds are low-yielding due to the complex structure of these biological molecules. In the Smolke laboratory we are interested in using new synthetic biology approaches to biosynthesize a class of drug molecules which are currently produced by extraction from opium poppies, namely the benzylisoquinoline alkaloids which include the powerful analgesics codeine and morphine. As a postdoc working together with members of the laboratory, my research focuses on metabolically engineering yeast to produce opioids and other high-value alkaloids.
 
As a Postdoc working together with members of the Metabolic Engineering team, my research focuses broadly on metabolically-engineering yeast to produce opiate alkaloids such as morphine and codeine. In order to maximize the number and quantity of morphinan alkaloids we can produce by microbial fermentation, my approach is to focus on the spatial engineering of this pathway in the host yeast cell. Spatial engineering is particularly useful in this instance because in the natural system, the opium poppy, the biosynthesis of opiates takes place across several cell types and subcellular structures. It could therefore be expected that efforts to engineer this pathway within single-celled yeast would benefit from making use of the available cellular compartments. Yeast organelles could provide microenvironments that are conducive to opiate alkaloid biosynthesis due to optimal pH or the availability of cofactors; they could compartmentalize toxic metabolites or ensure a local concentration of reactive intermediates; and they may be used to support the reconstitution of enzyme complexes which form naturally in the opium poppy. In the future, we envisage that the development of yeast synthetic organelles could support further spatial engineering efforts without taxing the functioning of native organelles.


==Publications==
==Publications==
# Schaffer RJ, Friel EN, Souleyre EJ, Bolitho K, Thodey K, Ledger S, et al. A genomics approach reveals that aroma production in apple is controlled by ethylene predominantly at the final step in each biosynthetic pathway. Plant Physiol. 2007;144(4):1899-912. PMCID: 1949883.
#Thodey K., Galanie S. and Smolke C.D. (2014). A biomanufacturing platform for natural and semisynthetic opioids. Nature Chemical Biology doi:10.1038/nchembio.1613. [Epub ahead of print].
# Janssen BJ, Thodey K, Schaffer RJ, Alba R, Balakrishnan L, Bishop R, et al. Global gene expression analysis of apple fruit development from the floral bud to ripe fruit. BMC Plant Biol. 2008;8:16. PMCID: 2287172.
#de Jong F., Thodey K., Lejay L.V. and Bevan M.W. (2014). Glucose elevates NITRATE TRANSPORTER2.1 protein levels and nitrate transport activity independently of its HEXOKINASE1-mediated stimulation of NITRATE TRANSPORTER2.1 expression. Plant Physiology 164(1):308-320.
# Walton EF, Wu RM, Richardson AC, Davy M, Hellens RP, Thodey K, et al. A rapid transcriptional activation is induced by the dormancy-breaking chemical hydrogen cyanamide in kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) buds. J Exp Bot. 2009;60(13):3835-48. PMCID: 2736901.
#Siddiqui M.S., Thodey K., Trenchard I. and Smolke C.D. (2012). Advancing secondary metabolite biosynthesis in yeast with synthetic biology tools. FEMS Yeast Research 12(2):144-170.
#Michener J.K., Thodey K., Liang J.C. and Smolke C.D. (2012). Applications of genetically-encoded biosensors for the construction and control of biosynthetic pathways. Metabolic Engineering 14(3):212-222.
#Thodey K. and Smolke C.D. (2011). Bringing it together with RNA. Science 333(6041):412-413.
#Walton E.F., Wu R.M., Richardson A.C., Davy M., Hellens R.P., Thodey K., Janssen B.J., Gleave A.P., Rae G.M., Wood M. and Schaffer R.J. (2009). A rapid transcriptional activation is induced by the dormancy-breaking chemical hydrogen cyanamide in kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) buds. Journal of Experimental Botany 60(13):3835-3848.
#Janssen B.J., Thodey K., Schaffer R.J., Alba R., Balakrishnan L., Bishop R., Bowen J.H., Crowhurst R.N., Gleave A.P., Ledger S., McArtney S., Pichler F.B., Snowden K.C. and Ward S. (2008). Global gene expression analysis of apple fruit development from the floral bud to ripe fruit. BMC Plant Biology 8:16. doi: 10.1186/1471-2229-8-16.
#Schaffer R.J., Friel E.N., Souleyre E.J., Bolitho K., Thodey K., Ledger S., Bowen J.H., Ma J.H., Nain B., Cohen D., Gleave A.P., Crowhurst R.N., Janssen B.J., Yao J.L. and Newcomb R.D. (2007). A genomics approach reveals that aroma production in apple is controlled by ethylene predominantly at the final step in each biosynthetic pathway. Plant Physiology 144(4):1899-1912.
#Gould K.S., Thodey K., Philpott M. and Ferguson L.R. (2006). Antioxidant activities of extracts from traditional Maori food plants. New Zealand Journal of Botany 44:1-4.

Latest revision as of 09:53, 9 September 2014

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Contact Info

Kate Thodey
Smolke Laboratory
Stanford University
CA 94305

Education

  • 2010-present, Postdoc, Stanford University, CA, United States
  • 2005-2009, PhD, John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
  • 2000-2003, BSc(Hons), University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

Research interests

Many drugs are still produced the traditional way; by extraction from medicinal plants. In many cases the alternative chemical syntheses of such compounds are low-yielding due to the complex structure of these biological molecules. In the Smolke laboratory we are interested in using new synthetic biology approaches to biosynthesize a class of drug molecules which are currently produced by extraction from opium poppies, namely the benzylisoquinoline alkaloids which include the powerful analgesics codeine and morphine. As a postdoc working together with members of the laboratory, my research focuses on metabolically engineering yeast to produce opioids and other high-value alkaloids.

Publications

  1. Thodey K., Galanie S. and Smolke C.D. (2014). A biomanufacturing platform for natural and semisynthetic opioids. Nature Chemical Biology doi:10.1038/nchembio.1613. [Epub ahead of print].
  2. de Jong F., Thodey K., Lejay L.V. and Bevan M.W. (2014). Glucose elevates NITRATE TRANSPORTER2.1 protein levels and nitrate transport activity independently of its HEXOKINASE1-mediated stimulation of NITRATE TRANSPORTER2.1 expression. Plant Physiology 164(1):308-320.
  3. Siddiqui M.S., Thodey K., Trenchard I. and Smolke C.D. (2012). Advancing secondary metabolite biosynthesis in yeast with synthetic biology tools. FEMS Yeast Research 12(2):144-170.
  4. Michener J.K., Thodey K., Liang J.C. and Smolke C.D. (2012). Applications of genetically-encoded biosensors for the construction and control of biosynthetic pathways. Metabolic Engineering 14(3):212-222.
  5. Thodey K. and Smolke C.D. (2011). Bringing it together with RNA. Science 333(6041):412-413.
  6. Walton E.F., Wu R.M., Richardson A.C., Davy M., Hellens R.P., Thodey K., Janssen B.J., Gleave A.P., Rae G.M., Wood M. and Schaffer R.J. (2009). A rapid transcriptional activation is induced by the dormancy-breaking chemical hydrogen cyanamide in kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) buds. Journal of Experimental Botany 60(13):3835-3848.
  7. Janssen B.J., Thodey K., Schaffer R.J., Alba R., Balakrishnan L., Bishop R., Bowen J.H., Crowhurst R.N., Gleave A.P., Ledger S., McArtney S., Pichler F.B., Snowden K.C. and Ward S. (2008). Global gene expression analysis of apple fruit development from the floral bud to ripe fruit. BMC Plant Biology 8:16. doi: 10.1186/1471-2229-8-16.
  8. Schaffer R.J., Friel E.N., Souleyre E.J., Bolitho K., Thodey K., Ledger S., Bowen J.H., Ma J.H., Nain B., Cohen D., Gleave A.P., Crowhurst R.N., Janssen B.J., Yao J.L. and Newcomb R.D. (2007). A genomics approach reveals that aroma production in apple is controlled by ethylene predominantly at the final step in each biosynthetic pathway. Plant Physiology 144(4):1899-1912.
  9. Gould K.S., Thodey K., Philpott M. and Ferguson L.R. (2006). Antioxidant activities of extracts from traditional Maori food plants. New Zealand Journal of Botany 44:1-4.
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