A University of Arkansas biochemist secured a $450,000 National Institutes of Health grant to study the connection of specific enzymes to cancer formation.
Chenguang Fan, an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, received the grant to study the role that lysine acetylation has on human threonyl-tRNA synthetase, a group of enzymes needed for protein synthesis and which regulate gene expression.
According to a university release, the research could provide insights into cancer formation, leading to improved cancer treatments.
During the research phase, Fan and a team of researchers will examine the impact that lysine acetylation has on threonyl-tRNA synthetaseand to determine what impact is has on proteins and tumor supressors in living cells.
Fan’s research team will be composed primarily of undergraduate students.
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