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 a Chemistry faculty member at Chattanooga State Community College.

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.

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.