Rebecca A. Butcher
Associate Professor
Research Focus
Our lab discovers new natural products that target fundamental biological processes such as development, metabolism, and aging. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, we genetically engineer nematode strains containing precise mutations in genes required for the biosynthesis of specific chemical signals and then analyze the effects of these mutations on the metabolome using comparative metabolomics. The chemical signals are purified, and their structures are elucidated using mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. We also study the biosynthesis and mechanism of action of the chemical signals that we discover. These signals are often conserved across nematode evolution, and our work may enable the development of new chemical tools to interfere with the life cycles of parasitic nematodes.
Education and Training
2005–2009: Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Medical School (lab of Jon Clardy)
1999–2005: Ph.D. Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University (lab of Stuart Schreiber)
1995–1999: A.B. Chemistry, Harvard University (lab of Greg Verdine)
Selected Awards
NIH MIRA (R35) Award (2021)
NSF Career Award (2016)
Sloan Research Fellowship in Chemistry (2014)
Cottrell Scholar Award (2014)
NIH Pathway to Independence (K99/R00) Award (2009)
Selected Activities
Standing Member, NIH CSB Study Section, 2023–2027
Guest Editor, Special Issue of the Journal of Natural Products, “Natural Product Signals – From Microbiomes to the Environment”, 2025
Steering Committee Member, UF Chemistry-Biology Interface Training Program, 2023–2025
Standing Member, NIH SBCB Study Section, 2021–2023
Organizer, UF Worm Club, 2023-present
Selected Publications
Bhar, S.; Prajapati, D.V.; Yoon, C.-S.; Mai, K.; Bailey, L.S.; Basso, K.B.; Butcher, R.A.* Comparative metabolomics identifies the roles of acyl-CoA oxidases in the biosynthesis of ascarosides and a complex family of secreted N-acylethanolamines. ACS Chem. Biol. 2025, 20, 1298–1308, doi: 10.1021/acschembio.5c00126.
Bhar, S.; Yoon, C.-S.; Mai, K.; Han, J.; Prajapati, D.V.; Wang, Y.; Steffen, C.L.; Bailey, L.S.; Basso, K.B.; Butcher, R.A.* An acyl-CoA thioesterase is essential for the biosynthesis of the dauer pheromone in C. elegans. Cell Chem. Biol. 2024, 31, 1011–1022, doi: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.12.006.
Feng, L.; Gordon, M.T.; Liu, Y.; Basso, K.B.; Butcher, R.A.* Mapping the biosynthetic pathway of a hybrid polyketide-nonribosomal peptide in a metazoan. Nature Commun. 2021, 12, 4912, doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-24682-9.