Dr. Dustin Patterson

My research is focused on the development of self-assembling peptide and protein systems toward probing questions in basic science involving biological systems and in the development of advanced biomaterials for applications in areas such as drug delivery, biofuels production, immunotherapeutics, and constructing light harvesting systems. I have extensive experience in the development of self-assembling protein systems, starting as a graduate student in Professor E. Neil Marsh’s research group at the University of Michigan where I examined methods for directing the assembly of protein building blocks, comprised of proteins containing highly symmetrical quaternary structures, into protein cage structures. Upon completion of graduate studies, I began my postdoctoral research career with Professor Trevor Douglas, a pioneer and expert in the field of protein cage/virus-like particle (VLP) manipulation, where I examined the modification of the bacteriophage P22 VLP for applications in the construction of enzyme nanoreactors and immunostimulatory biomaterials. I left my postdoctoral studies to take a position as a tenure track assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler), a primarily undergraduate institution, where I currently reside.

A major reason for taking the position at UT Tyler was my desire to teach and train undergraduate students in performing research, which I always enjoyed since my days in graduate school, where I would train new undergraduate students recruited by my advisor. In addition, the academic environment at UT Tyler was one supporting both investigative research with an emphasis on excellence in teaching, which I desired. As a faculty member at UT Tyler I have worked hard at developing a research group integrating undergraduate students focused on utilizing and exploiting protein cage/VLP structures for constructing biomaterials. I specifically recruit students as freshman, aided by feedback from faculty at UT Tyler teaching introductory chemistry, to join and commit to doing research in my lab for the duration of their tenure at UT Tyler, which is beneficial for them and me. Early recruitment, training, and commitment by undergraduates to continue research throughout their tenure provides continuity in the research projects, allows research to be performed faster since there are trained students available to perform the research that can also be responsible for training and guiding new students, and improve the overall experience for students by enabling them to see projects carried out to completion.  Students who have join my group have been involved in collaborative efforts between research groups at UT Tyler and external efforts at other institutions (example: Indiana University), providing experience in collaborative interdisciplinary research. I believe undergraduates, when properly trained, are able to carry out research that is competitive to the highest level, while maybe going at a somewhat slower rate, and is vital toward producing the next generation of scientific investigators and healthcare professional who can take up the daunting challenges that our country and world face. To this end, I personally train and mentor students in research and research presentation to position them toward the front of their respective peer groups and help build them up to be competitive in advanced degree programs upon graduation.

            As I look forward to the future, I seek to continue to develop the research capabilities of both the UT Tyler institution and the undergraduates that come through its doors. I believe in performing research that is near the cutting edge of the field and believe the research I am performing is applicable and useful toward real world applications. It excites students to know they are contributing toward the advancement of science, especially when it is related to human health. Research is the greatest teaching tool in the health and chemical sciences and I seek to exploit this for turning out the next leaders who will carry the torch for advancing scientific inquisition and discovery toward solving the problems of the future, and during the process develop unique biomaterials for advanced applications in the health sciences.

 

Positions and Honors
2005 Outstanding Senior in Chemistry, Bowling Green State University

2006-2008 NIH Chemical Biology Interface Training Program Fellowship, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

2010 Department of Chemistry Dissertation Fellowship, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

2011-2014 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Montana State University/Indiana University, Trevor Douglas Lab

2014-present: Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Tyler

2015 Department of Chemistry Undergraduate Faculty Research Award, University of Texas at Tyler

2016 Department of Chemistry Undergraduate Faculty Research Award, University of Texas at Tyler

2017 Department of Chemistry Undergraduate Faculty Research Award, University of Texas at Tyler

2018 Jack and Dorothy Fay White Fellowship for Teach Excellence Award, University of Texas at Tyler

2018 Texas Alpha Xi Chapter of Alpha Chi National College Honor Society Outstanding Faculty Award

2018 Department of Chemistry Departmental Award for Excellence in Teaching, University of Texas at Tyler

 

Contributions to Science
My most significant research contribution to science is in the area of manipulating protein cage architectures, primarily focused on protein cages and virus-like particles (VLPs) for applications in immunotherapeutics and biocatalysis. I initially started my research career working on the design of self-assembling protein systems for the construction of protein cage structures as a graduate student, then began working on modifying natural protein cage systems as a postdoctoral researchers in the Trevor Douglas research group at Montana State University. As a postdoctoral researcher I made a significant impact in the research direction of the lab, focusing on modifications of the bacteriophage P22 VLP, which lead to 7 first author papers. I have continued my research interests in the area of biomaterials engineering and modification and have produced an additional 2 first author papers and 6 co-author publications since joining the faculty at UT Tyler. Many of my publications have been in very high impact journals (example: Nature Chemistry) and one of my personal favorites is one published in Bioconjugate Chemistry in 2017 (honored with the cover), which resulted largely from research carried out by 4 undergraduate students working in my research lab at UT Tyler. Some publication highlights are as follows:

 

• Patterson, D. P., Schwarz, B., Avera, J., Western, B., Hicks, M., Krugler, P., Terra, M., Uchida, M., McCoy, K., Douglas, T. Sortase-Mediated Ligation as a Modula Approach for the Covalent Attachment of Proteins to the Exterior of the Bacteriophage P22 Virus-like Particle. Bioconjugate Chemistry, 2017, 28(8), 2114-2124. PMID: 28612603. *additional underlined names are for undergraduate student co-authors from UT Tyler
• 
  Jordan, P., Patterson, D. P., Saboda, K., Edwards, E., Miettinen, H., Basu, G., Thielges, M., & Douglas, T. Self-Assembling Biomolecular Catalysts for Hydrogen Production. Nature Chemistry, 2016, 8(2), 179-185.
• 
  Patterson, D. P., Rynda-Apple, A., Harmsen, A. L., Harmsen, A. G. & Douglas, T. Biomimetic Antigenic Nanoparticles Elicit Controlled Protective Immune Response to Influenza. ACS Nano, 2013, 7(4), 3036–3044.
• 
  Patterson, D. P., Prevelige, P. E. & Douglas, T. Nanoreactors by Programmed Enzyme Encapsulation Inside the Capsid of the Bacteriophage P22. ACS Nano, 2012, 6(6), 5000-5009.
   

In addition to my personal research, I see my second major contribution as the training and professional development of undergraduate students as a faculty member at UT Tyler. I have to date mentored 20 undergraduate students during my short time at UT Tyler. As noted above, this has led to co-authorship of a publication by 4 of my first undergraduate students. I have made a point to recruit dedicated undergraduate students that perform research with me for the duration of their undergraduate career and actively recruit students as freshmen so that they can see projects through and develop good research skills. My students have gone on to medical school programs (Brian Western and Paul Krugler), I have several that are attending graduate schools at top rated universities in chemistry and biochemistry programs including UT Austin (Christy Hjorth), UTMB (Savanah Seely), and Florida State (Kara Anazia), and another one of my former students is attending pharmacy school at UT Austin (Jessica Bird). I believe the training of these students is a major contribution to science.   

Additional Information: Research Support and/or Scholastic Performance

• The Welch Foundation, Welch Foundation Chemistry Department Research Grant (June 1, 2015- May 31, 2020, $175,000). Research Award: Gray, Neil (PI), Patterson, Dustin (CoPI), Butler, Sean (CoPI), Mason, Rachel (CoPI), Smee, Jason (CoPI), Shtoyko, Tanya (CoPI). The Welch Foundation grant provides financial support to help promote undergraduate student participation in chemistry research.
• The University of Texas at Tyler, UT Tyler Interdisciplinary Grant, “Molecular mechanisms of growth factor receptor activation by bacterial protease: application and education of nanocarrier biotechnology.” (Sept. 1 2018-July 31, 2019, $17,000) Azghani, Ali (PI), Patterson, Dustin (CoPI), Fazarro, Dominick (CoPI). 
• The University of Texas at Tyler, Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy Grant, “Designing artificial EGF receipts capable of spontaneous dimerization.” (Sept. 2018-July 31, 2019) $15,000. Abdelaziz, May (PI), Patterson, Dustin (CoPI) The research grant supports research in developing soluble artificial receptor tyrosine kinase mimics that can be used for drug screening and elucidation of molecular mechanism related to receptor tyrosine kinases.
• The University of Texas at Tyler, UT Tyler Undergraduate Research Grant “Designing artificial EGF receipts capable of spontaneous dimerization.” (Sept. 2018-July 31, 2019) $3,000.  Abdelaziz, May (PI), Patterson, Dustin (CoPI) This grant provided financial support for an undergraduate research students to perform research in constructing a soluble artificial receptor for in vitro analysis of dimerization and drug screening.
• LSAMP Fellowship, funding for a student fellow from University of Texas at Arlington, Summer 2015, $3500 student stipend, $1000 in research materials.  This funded Kathy Bernard to present a poster at the University of Texas LSAMP Conference at the University of Texas, El Paso.