Professor Grace Kenney focuses on exploring uncharacterized microbial enzymes and their involvement in natural product biosynthesis, with an emphasis on biocatalytically complex chemistry. Her lab investigates the mechanisms of metalloenzymes in redox reactions and their roles in producing bioactive natural products. Using a combination of bioinformatics, structural biology, and biochemical techniques, her team uncovers new biochemical pathways, with an emphasis on microbial metal homeostasis and peptidic natural products. This research could lead to discoveries with applications in biotechnology and drug development.
“Genome mining with hypothetical proteins.”
Kenney GE§. Methods in Enzymology. 717:199-240. (2025)
“Structure and function of prodrug-activating peptidases,”
Velilla JA, Kenney GE, Gaudet R. Biochimie 2023, 205, 124-135
“Revving an Engine of Human Metabolism: Activity Enhancement of Triosephosphate Isomerase via Hemi-Phosphorylation,”
Schachner LF, Soye BD, Ro S, Kenney GE, Ives AN, Su T, Goo YA, Jewett MC, Rosenzweig AC, Kelleher NL* ACS Chem. Biol. 2022, 17, 2769-2780
“The enzymology of oxazolone and thioamide synthesis in methanobactin,”
Chou JCC, Stafford VE, Kenney GE, Dassama LMK Methods Enzymol. 2021, 656, 341-373
“A Peroxodiiron(III/III) Intermediate Mediating Both N-Hydroxylation Steps in Biosynthesis of the N-Nitrosourea Pharmacophore of Streptozotocin by the Multi-domain Metalloenzyme SznF,”
McBride MJ, Sil D, Ng TL, Crooke AM, Kenney GE, Tysoe CR, Zhang B, Balskus EP*, Boal AK*, Krebs C*, Bollinger JM Jr.* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 11818-11828