USF’s Research and Development Institute has announced funding for six internal research applications. Among the recipients is Dr. Marcus Cooke, chair and professor in the Department of Molecular Biosciences, who received funding for a new piece of technology to advance his research on the impact of major diseases.
Department of Molecular Biosciences chair and professor, Dr. Marcus Cooke. (Photo courtesy of Marcus Cooke)
The Research and Development Institute supports the university’s research mission by providing support to USF researchers. Additionally, the institute manages an internal award system aimed at promoting research excellence and scholarly achievement among USF faculty, while also helping obtain external funding.
Cooke’s proposal was one of six selected from 36 applications to receive funding through the Interdisciplinary Research Awards (IDRA). His lab, known as the Oxidative Stress Group, investigates the detrimental effects of environmental exposures on humans. Cooke believes that his research aligns with relevant topics today and USF’s strategic goals, especially in biomedical science, which provided his proposal with a competitive edge.
“My lab has been studying the causes of DNA damage since the 1990s, but only recently has the technology advanced enough to allow us to examine multiple forms of DNA simultaneously (i.e., adductomics). We're now using this approach to study how the environment impacts human health. The complexity of exposures in the environment across the life course, also known as the exposome, requires powerful techniques such as Nucleic Acid Adductomics to dissect its role in disease,” Cooke said.
The IDRA grant will increase the competitiveness of Cooke’s NIH proposal to acquire a state-of-the-art hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap (IQ-X) high-resolution mass spectrometer to advance his research using NA adductomics.
“This instrument will be the first of its kind at USF and the only one of its kind in the northern hemisphere performing NA adductomics, examining cellular, nuclear, or mitochondrial targets, plus extracellular matrices, such as urine. Modification of nucleic acids (DNA, RNA and the NTP pools) is implicated in the pathogenesis of a wide variety of major diseases. Our novel NA adductomics testing represents a groundbreaking advancement and provides a unique approach to comprehensively characterizing all nucleic acid modifications. This will significantly enhance our understanding of their impact on health and disease,” Cooke said.
A figure representing the exposures in the environment across the life span of human beings that cause DNA damage; the damage serves as an indicator of exposure and a risk factor for diseases. (Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, Vol. 108. Image courtesy of Marcus Cooke)
With the acquisition of this new instrument, Cooke and his team will be able to broaden their research scope to include the simultaneous analysis of both DNA and RNA damage, as well as their adducts formed with proteins. Prior to receiving funding for the IQ-X, such comprehensive research was not feasible.
The acquisition of this instrument will be not only a major milestone for Cooke’s research, but also a valuable addition to USF’s resources. The acquired device will be utilized as a shared campus-wide resource, enhancing the university's commitment to an interdisciplinary approach.
“The NA adductomics core facility will support investigators from multiple departments across USF and the Moffitt Cancer Center. The instrument will enhance basic and translational research programs such as infectious disease, genome instability, carcinogenesis, respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological disorders. This cutting-edge technology will accelerate new and important discoveries for multiple projects, as well as opening new directions of research in the biomedical sciences and improving our understanding of the mechanisms underlying pathogenesis,” Cooke explained.
The research that Cooke and his team aim to conduct has the potential to make significant contributions to real-world applications, particularly in fields such as cancer research.
A figure representing how DNA damage from environmental exposures, if not repaired by DNA repair pathways, can lead to major human diseases and aging. (Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, Vol. 108. Image courtesy of Marcus Cooke)
“Real-world applications will include identifying specific exposures and combinations of exposures that carry an increased risk of cancer. While some cancer-causing agents are well known, there are many in the environment that have yet to be identified. The study of combinations of exposures is challenging, but adductomics will help greatly,” Cooke said.
Reflecting on this achievement, Cooke predicts a new era of understanding the relationship between the environment and disease. He acknowledges the importance of USF funding initiatives like the IDRA in supporting the mission of departments such as molecular biosciences.
“This award shows the recognition that USF places on studies that aim to understand the health effects of damage to nucleic acids, the environment, and human diseases. I am pleased to see this field recognized in this way and hope it is a sign of things to come. Such support confirms the position of the Department of Molecular Biosciences amongst the forefront of biomedical research at USF,” Cooke said.
To learn more about Dr. Marcus Cooke’s research, please visit the Department of Molecular Science’s website.