Brenda Blacklock

Brenda Blacklock is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology at Indiana University, specializing in lipid biochemistry with a focus on sphingolipid metabolism and very long chain fatty acid (VLCFA) biosynthesis. Her research investigates the molecular mechanisms of fatty acid elongation pathways and their roles in cellular signal transduction.

Education:

• B.Sc., University of Waterloo, 1989
• Ph.D., University of Alberta, 1994
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Johns Hopkins University, 1997

Dr. Blacklock's work centers on the combinatorial diversification of sphingolipids and the alternative pathways of VLCFA production, particularly examining 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthases (KCS) and ELO proteins. Using Dictyostelium discoideum as a model organism, she explores how specific lipid molecular species regulate cancer cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, and developmental processes. Her research bridges plant and animal systems to uncover conserved lipid signaling mechanisms.

Her publication record (1998-2013) reveals consistent focus on lipid enzymology, with recent work emphasizing ELO condensing enzymes, fungal lipid biosynthesis, and plant stress responses. Key trends include structural characterization of elongation enzymes, cross-species comparisons of fatty acid pathways, and translational applications in polycystic kidney disease and cancer biology, demonstrating interdisciplinary integration of biochemistry, cell biology, and disease mechanisms.

Dr. Blacklock's laboratory leverages Dictyostelium discoideum's unique genetics and developmental profile to dissect lipid metabolism in cell motility and signal transduction, utilizing biochemical assays, genetic manipulation, and structural analysis to investigate the physiological functions of lipid-metabolizing enzymes.