Steven Bruner
Professor
Research Focus
Small molecule biosynthetic enzymes produce bioactive compounds using complex chemistry. Our group uses the tools of organic chemistry, enzymology, and structural biology to probe the chemistry of these systems. A detailed understanding of biosynthesis will be extended to the engineering of novel molecules with desired properties. Synthetic biology approaches are being developed to discover compounds targeting disease-specific proteins. As an example, we are targeting clinically relevant mutations in the signal recognition particle linked to pediatric leukemia and severe congenital neutropenia.
Education and Training
2000–2002: Postdoc, Harvard Medical School (lab of Christopher T. Walsh)
1995–2000: Ph.D. Chemistry, Harvard University (lab of Gregory L. Verdine)
1991–1995: B.S. Biochemistry, Boston College (lab of Marc L. Snapper)
Selected Awards
UF Research Foundation Professor (2025–2028)
UF Term Professorship Award (2017–2022)
NSF CAREER award (2007–2011)
Damon Runyon Cancer Research Fund Scholar Award (2004–2006)
Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award (2003)
Selected Publications
Hu, Y., Jaroch, M., Sun, G., Dedon, P.C., de Crécy-Lagard, V., Bruner S.D.* Mechanism of Catalysis and Substrate Binding of Epoxyqueuosine Reductase in the Biosynthetic Pathway to Queuosine-Modified tRNA. Biochemistry 2025, 64, 458-467.
Patel, K.P., Chen, W.T., Delbecq, L., Bruner, S.D.* Alternative Linkage Chemistries in the Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Microviridin-Based Cyclic Peptides. Org. Lett. 2024, 26, 1138-1142.
Rubin, G.M., Patel, K.P., Jiang, Y., Ishee, A.C., Seabra, G., Bruner, S.D.*, Ding Y.* Characterization of a Dual Function Peptide Cyclase in Graspetide Biosynthesis. ACS Chem. Biol. 2024 19, 2525-2534