Structural Biology and Cancer: Using Structural Biology to Develop Immunotherapies | Biophysics Workshops in South Africa

Structural Biology and Cancer: Using Structural Biology to Develop Immunotherapies

28 May 2025 (4:00 pm)

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28 May 2025 (5:00 pm)

Abstract

Speaker

Dr Chrystal Starbird

School of Medicine – University of North Carolina

About

Chrystal Starbird completed her undergraduate work at UNC Chapel Hill and spent a few years afterwards working in academic and industry labs before returning to UNC to complete a year-long postbaccalaureate program. Following this, Dr Starbird completed her graduate work in chemical and physical biology at Vanderbilt University. She completed her postdoctoral work as a K99/R00 postdoctoral fellow in the Cancer Biology Center at Yale before moving into her current position as faculty in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at UNC Chapel Hill. 

As an expert structural biologist, Dr Starbird runs a research program focused broadly on the molecular basis of disease. Current projects in her lab include studies to improve our understanding of receptor tyrosine kinase activation in diseases such as cancer and the role of lipid transporters in Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition to her research, Dr Starbird is a well-known advocate, mentor, and speaker focused on ways to make science more accessible to all.  As a non-traditional student in many ways, Dr Starbird is a strong advocate for inclusive mentoring practices, and publishes regularly on strategies to maximize the impact of mentoring and to build an inclusive lab. 

When not in the lab, Chrystal can usually be found searching for the next waterfall to visit with her family (partner and three children).

Selected publications

Birmingham, William R., et al. “Bioretrosynthetic Construction of a Didanosine Biosynthetic Pathway.” Nature Chemical Biology, vol. 10, no. 5, May 2014, pp. 392–99, https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.1494. Cite Download
Starbird, Chrystal A., et al. “Flavoenzymes: Covalent versus Noncovalent.” ELS, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2015, pp. 1–11, https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470015902.a0026073. Cite
Immormino, Robert M., et al. “Probing Mechanistic Similarities between Response Regulator Signaling Proteins and Haloacid Dehalogenase Phosphatases.” Biochemistry, vol. 54, no. 22, June 2015, pp. 3514–27, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.5b00286. Cite Download
Maklashina, Elena, et al. “Binding of the Covalent Flavin Assembly Factor to the Flavoprotein Subunit of Complex II *.” Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 291, no. 6, Feb. 2016, pp. 2904–16, https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M115.690396. Cite Download
Starbird, C. A., et al. “Structural and Biochemical Analyses Reveal Insights into Covalent Flavinylation of the Escherichia Coli Complex II Homolog Quinol:Fumarate Reductase.” Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 292, no. 31, Aug. 2017, pp. 12921–33, https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M117.795120. Cite Download
Starbird, C. A., et al. “The Structure of the Bifunctional Everninomicin Biosynthetic Enzyme EvdMO1 Suggests Independent Activity of the Fused Methyltransferase-Oxidase Domains.” Biochemistry, vol. 57, no. 50, Dec. 2018, pp. 6827–37, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00836. Cite Download
Bagchi, Atrish, et al. “Structural Insights into the Role and Targeting of EGFRvIII.” Structure, vol. 32, no. 9, Sept. 2024, pp. 1367-1380.e6, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.str.2024.05.018. Cite

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About

The Biophysics in Africa Monthly Colloquium Series is a joint project of the African Light Source Foundation (AfLS), African Physical Society (AfPS), and the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP). SAIP is an adhering body of the International Union of Pure and Applied Biophysics (IUPAB). The colloquia are always on the last Wednesday of every month. In addition to participation by students and colleagues worldwide, we invite speakers from around the globe as well. For more information please feel free to contact us at colloquium.series@africanbiophysics.org