Kenneth Mills
Anthony and Renee Marlon Professor in the Sciences, Co-Director of Biochemistry Program
External Grants
2024-2027 National Institutes of Health, NIGMS, R15: "The Regulation of Inteins: Adaptations to Extreme Environments and Targets for Drug Discovery"
2022-2024 Research Corporation for Science Advancement, SEED (Singular Exceptional Endeavors of Discovery: "Folding Inhibitors of Inteins: a novel drug target."
2019-2023 National Institutes of Health, NIGMS, R15: "Conditional Protein Splicing of inteins from extreme thermophiles and halophiles: Structure, Mechanism, and Function."
2015-2019 National Science Foundation, RUI: "RUI: The Catalysis of Protein Splicing and the Structure and Stability of Thermophilic Inteins: An Integrated Research and Education Program"
Publications
(Undergraduate co-authors indicated by asterisk)
*Yalala, V.R., *Lynch, AK., and Mills, K.V. (2022) Conditional Alternative Protein Splicing Promoted by Inteins from Haloquadratum walsbyi. Biochemistry, 61, 294-302.
*Wall, D.A., *Tarrant, S.P., Wang, C., Mills, K.V., and Lennon, C.W. (2021) Intein Inhibitors as Novel Antimicrobials: Protein Splicing in Human Pathogens, Screening Methods, and Off-Target Considerations. Front. Mol. Biosci. 8, 752824, 1-17.
*Williams, J.E., *Jaramillo, M.V., Li, Z., Zhao, J., Wang, C., Li, H., and Mills, K.V. (2021) An alternative domain-swapped structure of the Pyrococcus horikoshii PolII mini-intein. Scientific Reports, 11, 11680, 1-12.
Robinzon, S., *Cawood, A.R., *Ruiz, M.A., Gophna, U., Altman-Price, N., and Mills, K.V. (2020) Protein Splicing Activity of the Haloferax volcanii PolB-c intein is sensitive to homing endonuclease domain mutations. Biochemistry, 59, 3359-3367.
*Chiarolanzio, K.C., *Pusztay, J.M., *Chavez, A., Zhao, J., Xie, J., Wang, C., and Mills, K.V. (2020) Allosteric Influence of Extremophile Hairpin Motif Mutations on the Protein Splicing Activity of a Hyperthermophilic Intein. Biochemistry, 59, 2459-2467.
Zhao, J., Du, Z., Wang, C., and Mills, K.V. (2020) Methods to Study the Structure and Catalytic Activity of cis-splicing Inteins. Methods Mol Biol, 2133, 55-73.
Lab Members
Ken Mills, Ph.D., Principal Investigator
Libby Nompleggi, Chemistry 2025
Maggie O'Dea, Chemistry 2025
Emma Proffitt, Chemistry 2025
Caroline Quinn, Chemistry 2025
Fiona Doherty, Chemistry 2026
Alanna Mahar, Chemistry 2026
Cristina Pedorella, Chemistry/Biochem 2026
Maria Pena Garcia, Chemistry 2027
Katrin White, Biology 2027
Nana Akyeampong, Seelos STEM Scholar, 2028
Mari Arias, Seelos STEM Scholar, 2028
Seelos STEM Scholar Alumni:
Gia Ciaravino, Biology 2026
Kiara Fontes, Math 2026
Cyndie Alexis, Health Studies 2025
Maria Campos, Chemistry 2025
Brynn Dundon, Chemistry 2025
Lab Alumni
2024
Sarah Carter, Biology/Biochem, PhD Student, Dartmouth
Lilly Feeney, Chemistry 2024, Hockey, Germany (Pre Med)
Lily Nguyen, Chemistry 2024, Dental Assistant (Pre-Dental)
Kallie Poon, Biology 2024, Jesuit Volunteer Corps (Pre-Med)
Megan Yurchick, Chemistry 2024, Americorps (Pre-Med)
2023
Josue Alvarado, FRAP/Sociology
Bea Barbesino, Chem, MD Student
Michelle Haigbea, Bio/Honors, Pharmacy student, MCPHS
2022
Justin Hackshaw, FRAP/Economics
Anthony D'Angelo, Chem, PhD student, Texas A&M
Thuy Nguyen, Chem, Master's, Rutgers
Lily Russo, Chem, Alpha Analytical
Diana Wall, Bio, PhD student, Brown
2021
Angel Chavez, Chemistry, Pfizer
Bella Jankowski, Chem/Biochem, PhD student, UMass
Liam Lewis, Chem, Teaching
Mercedes Ruiz, English, Maxim Healthcare recruiter
Sean Tarrant, Bio/Biochem, Clinical Research Coordinator
Vaish Yalala, Chemistry, MD Student, UMass
2020
Alexandra Cawood, Chem/Biochem, DO Student, W. Virginia SOM
Chinnel Hudson, FRAP/Sociology
2019
Owen Conroy, Biology, Broad Institute
Patrick Exconde, Chem/Biochem, PhD student UPenn
Abby Lynch, Biology/Biochem, Research Assistant Duke
Nhi Tran, UMass Amherst
Amanda Wibben, Biology Fulbright India, MS Theology Harvard, MD Student Georgetown
2018
Hannah Comeau, Chemistry, Masters, Johns Hopkins, Clinical Research Coordinator
Vanessa Costa, Sociology, Clinical specialist
C.J. Janton, Bio/Biochem, DO/PhD student, NYIT
Christian Ramsoomair, Chem/Biochem MD/PhD student, Miami
Deirdre Reidy, Biology, MD student, UConn
2017
Shirley Amunya, Fitchburg St, Teach for America
Alexander Bonano, Spanish, MPH, Tufts
Josh Long, Biology, MD
Chris Minteer, Chem/Biochem PhD, Yale
Wanlin Zhang, Chem/Biochem, DDS, Touro
2016
Chris Cousin, Chemistry, PharmD, MCPHS
Julliard del Rosario, Cornell U
Mike Koulopoulos, Chem/Biochem, MD Wake Forest
Anthony Yakely, Chem/Biochem, JVC Northwest, MPH Yale
2015
Dawilmer Castillo, Bridgewater St., Masters, Brown, Pharmacist
Zach Giaccone, Chem/Biochem, Dental School, UConn
Mario Jaramillo, Biology, MD, Albany Med
Isabelle Pierre, UMass Dartmouth
Nikki Siegart, Bio/Biochem, MD SUNY Downstate
2014
Sarah Cahn, Chemistry, Takeda Oncology
Dan Haley, Chemistry DDS, UConn
2013
Katie Colelli Chiarolanzio, Bio/Biochem, M.D., UVM
Nick Gulbrandsen, Bio Fitchburg
Michael Nicastri, Chem/Biochem PhD, UPenn, PD Columbia
Jen Pusztay, Chem/Biochem , D.O. UNECOM
Laura Urbanski , Chem/Biochem MD/PhD program, UConn
Jennie Williams, Chemistry , Program Director, Lovelane Riding
2012
Stacy Chin, Chemistry, PhD, Boston U
Kevin Karanja, Chemistry WSU, Science Teacher
George Savidis, Bio/Biochem, Cytivia
2011
Colleen Donahue, Biology, M.D., Tufts
Michelle Marieni, Biology, M.D., Creighton
Kevin O’Brien, Bio/Biochem PhD, U. Georgia, PD UMass Med
Kristina Xega, Chemistry, MS Harvard, Charles River
2010
Lauren Duffee, Bio/Biochem, D.V.M., UPenn
Adam Nadelson, Biology, M.D., UMass
Dan York, Bio/Biochem, MD, Texas Tech
2009
Adam Kerrigan, Biology Cybereason
Annie Schufreider, Chemistry, M.D., Loyola Chicago
Jen Winslow, Biology, DO, University of New England
2008
Melissa McGill, Bio/Biochem, M.S., Michigan, Pfizer
Kathryn O’Brien, Chem/Biochem PhD, Cornell-Weill
2007
Matt Drago, Bio/Biochem, M.D., UPenn
Taryn Powers Surabian, Biology Ursuline Academy
2006
Deirdre Dorval Wells, Biology J.D., Harvard Law School
2005
Katie Lewandowski Bagnowski, Bio/Biochem PhD, Wash. U., PD Northwestern
2004
Kate Leahy, Math, MD, Boston U
Jackie Gareau Merrick, Chem/Biochem, Ph.D, Cornell-Weill
Tim Quinn, Chem/Biochem, M.D.-Georgetown
2003
Jenny Manning Chapnick, Biology
Lisa Wuerdeman Lucas, Chemistry D.O., U. New England
Ralph Millilo, Bio/Biochem, M.D. SUNY Upstate
Lisa Garcia Seals, Biology Middle School Teacher
2002
Beth Ambrose Dean, Chemistry Physician Assistant
Pat Twomey, Chem/Biochem, M.D., Georgetown
Kate Connor, Research Assistant
Alvin Gomez, Research Associate
Julie Reitter, Ph.D., Research Associate