School of Natural Sciences staff
Contact details +6469517587
Dr Elena Harjes PhD
Senior Lecturer in Physics
Doctoral Supervisor School of Natural SciencesIn collaboration with Associate Professor V. Filichev, Professor G. Jameson and Professor R. Harris (University of Minnesota), we design, make and test the DNA-based inhibitors of APOBEC3 proteins. For the biophysical characterization of the APOBEC3-inhibitors complexes, we use mainly NMR, ITC and SAXS techniques. I am also interested in dynamics of APOBEC3 proteins and their interaction with DNA and RNA substrates.
I am a NMR spectroscopist with expertise in protein and nucleic-acid structural biology. Through my scientific carrier, I have used advanced NMR techniques to connect structures and dynamics of disease-relevant proteins to their function. Area of my special interests are double sword APOBEC proteins, which can mutate viral DNA to protect us against pathogens, but at the same time they can mutate human DNA and cause cancer development and cancer evolution as well as drug resistance in cancers. We are working to find inhibitors of those proteins to transform cancers from the terminal disease to the manageable condition
Professional
Contact details
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Ph: 84587
Location: C5.05, STC
Campus: Turitea
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy - Technical University of Dortmund (2004)
Research Expertise
Research Interests
My research focuses on protein-DNA interaction of APOBEC3 (A3) proteins. APOBEC3 proteins provide a key part of our defence against viral pathogens. They act by attacking single-stranded viral DNA (ssDNA) and destroy their genetic information by mutating the cytidines to uridines. For this defence to work, it is essential to distinguish between pathogen DNA and our own genetic information. How A3 proteins recognize specific ssDNA and specific pathogens, but neither double-stranded DNA nor RNA, remains unknown. We are using high-resolution NMR to answer this and others important biological questions.
Thematics
Health and Well-being
Area of Expertise
Field of research codes
Biochemistry and Cell Biology (060100):
Biological Sciences (060000):
Enzymes (060107):
Structural Biology (incl. Macromolecular Modelling) (060112)
Keywords
Nuclear magnetic resonance on biomolecules
Structural Biology
Research Projects
Summary of Research Projects
Position | Current | Completed |
---|---|---|
Project Leader | 3 | 7 |
Team Member | 1 | 2 |
Current Projects
Project Title: Structural basis of viral wars: Innate immune system attack on viral genomes and the counterattack by viruses.
Date Range: 2023 - 2026
Funding Bodies: Royal Society of New Zealand; Marsden Fund - Full
Project Team:
- Dr Elena Harjes - Project Leader
Completed Projects
Project Title: Screening for APOBEC3B Inhibitors: New Approach to Fighting Breast Cancer
Date Range: 2014 - 2017
Funding Body: Health Research Council of New Zealand
Project Team:
- Dr Elena Harjes - Project Leader
Research Outputs
Journal
[Journal article]Authored by: Filichev, V., Harjes, E., Jameson, G., Kurup, H.
[Journal article]Authored by: Edwards, P., Harjes, E., Jameson, G.
[Journal article]Authored by: Filichev, V., Harjes, E., Jameson, G., Kurup, H.
[Journal article]Authored by: Filichev, V., Harjes, E., Jameson, G., Kurup, H.
[Journal article]Authored by: Filichev, V., Harjes, E., Jameson, G., Kurup, H.
[Journal article]Authored by: Filichev, V., Harjes, E., Jameson, G., Kurup, H.
[Journal article]Authored by: Filichev, V., Harjes, E., Jameson, G., Kurup, H.
[Journal article]Authored by: Edwards, P., Harjes, E.
[Journal article]Authored by: Edwards, P., Harjes, E., Jameson, G., Loo, T., Sattlegger, E.
[Journal article]Authored by: Filichev, V., Harjes, E., Jameson, G., Kurup, H.
[Journal article]Authored by: Filichev, V., Harjes, E., Jameson, G., Kurup, H.
[Journal article]Authored by: Filichev, V., Harjes, E., Jameson, G.
[Journal article]Authored by: Edwards, P., Harjes, E.
[Journal article]Authored by: Edwards, P., Harjes, E.
[Journal article]Authored by: Edwards, P., Harjes, E.
[Journal article]Authored by: Edwards, P., Filichev, V., Harjes, E., Jameson, G.
[Journal article]Authored by: Harjes, E.
[Journal article]Authored by: Harjes, E.
[Journal article]Authored by: Harjes, E.
[Journal article]Authored by: Harjes, E.
[Journal article]Authored by: Harjes, E.
[Journal article]Authored by: Harjes, E.
[Journal article]Authored by: Harjes, E.
[Journal article]Authored by: Harjes, E.
[Journal article]Authored by: Harjes, E.
[Journal article]Authored by: Harjes, E.
[Journal article]Authored by: Harjes, E.
[Journal article]Authored by: Harjes, E.
IP
[Patent]Authored by: Filichev, V., Harjes, E., Jameson, G., Kurup, H.Contributed to by: Kurup, H.
Conference
[Conference Poster]Authored by: Edwards, P., Harjes, E., Jameson, G., Loo, T., Sattlegger, E.
[Conference Abstract]Authored by: Filichev, V., Harjes, E., Jameson, G.
[Conference]Authored by: Edwards, P., Filichev, V., Harjes, E., Jameson, G.
[Conference Poster]Authored by: Edwards, P., Harjes, E.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Harjes, E.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Harjes, E.
[Conference]Authored by: Harjes, E.
[Conference Abstract]Authored by: Harjes, E., Jameson, G., Loo, T., Sattlegger, E.
[Conference Poster]Authored by: Harjes, E., Jameson, G., Loo, T., Sattlegger, E.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Harjes, E.
[Conference]Authored by: Harjes, E.
Teaching and Supervision
Teaching Statement
Biophysics (parts)
Thermal Physics (parts)
Summary of Doctoral Supervision
Position | Current | Completed |
---|---|---|
Main Supervisor | 1 | 0 |
Co-supervisor | 1 | 2 |
Current Doctoral Supervision
Main Supervisor of:
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Dong Luo
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Doctor of Philosophy
Structural basis of A3G-DNA interaction for antiviral defense
Co-supervisor of:
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Thakshila Dayananda
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Doctor of Philosophy
Investigation of Structural and Biophysical Aspects of DNA Aptamers in Binding to Complex Illicit Drugs and Utilisation of Aptamers in Biosensing Platform Development for Health and Environmental Monitoring
Completed Doctoral Supervision
Co-supervisor of:
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2021
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~ Harikrishnan Mohana Kurup
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Doctor of Philosophy
Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Cross-linked Single-stranded DNAs as Inhibitors of APOBEC3 Enzymes -
2020
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Fareeda Barzak
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Doctor of Philosophy
Biophysical and biochemical characterisation of DNA-based inhibitors of the cytosine-mutating APOBEC3 enzymes
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Last updated on Monday 27 February 2023