Welcome to the
DeRose Lab
Platinum and Biology
We are investigating chemical activity and structure in nucleic acids and proteins, with an emphasis on metal interactions.
Our research group examines such systems using tools of biological and bioinorganic chemistry, and spectroscopic methods. These are interdisciplinary studies that lie at the interface of biology and chemistry.
The Questions We Investigate
Nucleolar Processes
We investigate nucleolar stress caused by Pt(II) compounds, focusing on their interactions with RNA and proteins to reveal mechanisms of cellular response, nucleolar reorganization, and potential therapeutic applications. By studying how these compounds disrupt nucleolar function, the lab aims to advance understanding of stress pathways and their relevance to disease treatment.
Click-Enabled Pt(II) Complexes
This project is focused on synthesizing “click-enabled” Pt(II) complexes to further investigate the unique Pt(II)-induced nucleolar stress response pathway. We are interested in using clickable oxaliplatin mimics to track metal-protein interactions and compound localization in cells.
Platinum IV
In contrast to square-planar Pt(II) compounds, Pt(IV) complexes have an octahedral d6 geometry with two axial ligands, enabling added functionality.
Platinum – RNA interactions
This project is focused on the creation of molecules with new crosslinking modalities, a new reduced system to study genome cyclization in SARS-CoV-2, RNA self-catalyzed cleavage, and RNA tertiary structure probing.