Dr. Carma Cook
Carma started with us as a Masters student, and then switched to
the PhD program. She hails from Sylacauga, AL, and completed her
Bachelor or Science degree in Chemical Engineering here at Auburn
University. During her time in the Goodwin lab, Carma received of
two prestigious fellowships.
First,
she was an Alabama LSAMP-NSF Bridge to the Doctorate Fellow, and
she has twice been selected as an NSF GK-12 fellow. Carma
also received a Dean's Research
Award, and she is a member
of the Alpha Theta Chi Honor Society. On December 4, 2008, Carma
successfully defended her dissertation entitled: Role of distant, intrasubunit residues in
catalase-peroxidase catalysis: Tracing the role of gene duplication and
fusion in enzyme structure and function. Carma is now
engaged in postdoctoral studies at the Center for Cancer Research at
Tuskegee University.
Abstracts and Publications
Cook, C.O., Moore, R.L., and Goodwin, D.C. 2008. The effect
of R117 and D597 interdomain residue substitutions on the reactivation
of Escherichia coli
catalase-peroxidase. NOBCChE
Proceedings 35, (in press).
Cook, C.O., Moore, R.L., and Goodwin, D. C. 2008. Role of R117
and D597 interdomain residues in the reactivation of E. coli catalase-peroxidase.
American Chemical Society, 235th National Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
Moore, R.L., Cook, C.O., Williams, R., and Goodwin,
D.C. 2008. Substitution of strictly conserved Y111 in
catalase-peroxidase: Impact of remote interdomain contacts on
active site structure and catalytic performance. J. Inorg. Biochem. 102, 1819 - 1824.
Cook, C.O., and Goodwin, D.C. 2008. Role of the central
hydrogen bonding network interdomain residues in the bifunctionality of
catalase-peroxidases. NOBCChE 35th Annual Conference,
Philadelphia, PA.
Cook, C.O., Moore, R.L., Goodwin, D.C. 2007. Effect of Distant,
Intradomain Residues on Restoring the Catalase-Peroxidase Bifunctional
Active Site, Southeast Regional Meeting of the American Chemical
Society, Greenville, SC.
Goodwin, D.C., Cook, C.O., Moore, R.L. 2007. Roles of distant but
highly conserved interactions in maintaining active site function in
catalase-peroxidases. Gordon Conference: Enzymes, Coenzymes, and
Metabolic Pathways, Biddeford, ME.
Cook, C. O., Moore, R. L., Goodwin, D. C. 2007. Role of intrasubunit
interactions between domains in catalase-peroxidase structure and
activity. American Chemical Society, 233rd National Meeting, Boston,
MA.
Baker, R. D., Cook, C. O., and Goodwin D. C. 2006.
Catalase-peroxidase active site restructuring by a distant and
'inactive' domain. Biochemistry 45, 7113-7121.
Goodwin, D. C., Cook, C. O., Baker, R. D. 2006. Modulation
of catalase-peroxidase active site structure and catalysis by distant
protein structures. American Chemical Society, 231st National
Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia.
Cook, C. O., Baker, R., and Goodwin, D. C. 2006. Function
of a gene-duplicated domain in catalase-peroxidase structure and
activity.
American Chemical Society, 231st National Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia.
Cook, C. O., Baker, R. D., and Goodwin, D. C., 2004
Catalase-peroxidase active site restructuring by a distant and
"inactive" domain. Amer. Chem. Soc. Southeast Regional Meeting,
Research Triangle Park, NC.
Baker, R. D., Cook, C. O., and Goodwin D. C., 2004 Essential
contribution of the C-terminal domain to the structure of the
catalase-peroxidase active site. Amer. Chem. Soc. Southeast
Regional Meeting, Research Triangle Park, NC.
Goodwin, D. C., Baker, R. D., Cook, C. O., and Laband, K. A. 2004.
Integral Involvement of an “Inactive” Domain in
Catalase-Peroxidase Structure and Catalysis. Enzymes,
Coenzymes, and Metabolic Pathways Gordon Conference, Meriden, NH.
Baker, R. D., Cook, C. O., and Goodwin D. C. 2004. Properties of
catalase-peroxidase lacking its C-terminal domain. Biochem.
Biophys. Res. Comm. 320, 833-839.