Daniel Dowling

Daniel P. Dowling is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts Boston, affiliated with the College of Science and Mathematics. He directs the Biophysical Instrumentation Core (BIC) Facility and leads interdisciplinary research in structural biology, enzymology, and natural product biosynthesis using X-ray crystallography and biochemical techniques.

Education

• B.A. in Chemistry and Music, College of the Holy Cross (2004)
• Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania (2009)
• Postdoctoral Training, Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) support

Research Focus

• Mechanisms of nucleobase hypermodification in DNA
• Bacterial flavoproteins involved in sulfur acquisition
• Metalloenzymes as therapeutic targets
• Natural product biosynthesis pathways (e.g., azoline formation)
• Expanding into cryo-electron microscopy for structural studies

Collaborations & Grants

• Secured Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Capital Infrastructure Grant (2022) for BIC Facility upgrades

Mentorship

• Mentored graduate students (Jeremy Liew, Reyaz Gonzalez, Andrew Gnann, Jayata Mawani, Jonathan Webb, Jess, Yuan Xia) and undergraduates (Alice Wong, AudreyAnn Supreme, Tori Cordeiro, Catherine Gaitanakis, Simon Johnson, Courtney Truong, Israa El Saudi, Clara Barthelemy, Dhruval Amin, Bryan Henriquez, Sam, John) to thesis completion, fellowships, and graduate/medical school acceptances.

Laboratory Highlights

• Published seminal work on sulfur metabolism enzymes (MtuD, methanesulfinate monooxygenase) and NRPS heterocyclization domains
• Established BIC Facility as a hub for core instrumentation access
• Laboratory members recognized with Brann Graduate Research Fellowship (Jeremy Liew, 2023) and 29 Who Shine Award (AudreyAnn Supreme, 2022)