Dr. Cedric Owens

Associate Professor

Chemistry, Schmid College of Science and Technology

Expertise: Biological Nitrogen Fixation; Nitrogenase; Bacterial Iron Uptake; Hemophore; Bioinorganic Chemistry; Structural Biology

Office Location: Kecn Center for Science and Engineering 226

Phone: 714-997-6922

Email: cpowens@chapman.edu

Website: https://sites.chapman.edu/owenslab/

Scholarly Works:: Google Scholar

Education:: Colby College, Bachelor of Arts
University of California, Irvine, Ph.D.

Biography

Research Interests

The Owens laboratory is very interdisciplinary and conducts research at the interface of inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology. We currently focus on two research areas:

(1) We are investigating regulation of the metalloenzyme nitrogenase in nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Nitrogenase contains several unique metal cofactors and is responsible for the biological conversion of inert nitrogen gas into ammonia, a critical nitrogen source for plants. By deepening our understanding of nitrogenase regulation, we aim to uncover ways of increasing biological ammonia production for agricultural applications.

(2) In a separate project, we are studying how bacteria acquire iron with the aim of exploiting bacterial iron uptake for antibiotic development.

Keywords

Biological nitrogen fixation, nitrogenase, bacterial iron uptake, hemophore, bioinorganic chemistry, biophysical chemistry, structural biology

Recent Creative, Scholarly Work and Publications: Willard, D. L, Arellano J. J., Underdahl, M., Lee, T. M., Ramaswamy, A. S., Gabriella, F., Kliman, A., Wong, E. Y., Owens, C. P. (2024) Mutational analysis of the nitrogenase carbon monoxide protective protein CowN reveals that a conserved C-terminal glutamic acid residue is necessary for its activity, Biochemistry, 1, 152-158; Lo Verde, C., Paciolas, C. T., Paterson, N., Chin, J., Owens, C. P., Senger, L. W. (2023) Hydrolysis of chlorogenic acid in sunflower flour increases consumer acceptability in sunflower cookies by improving cookie color. Journal of Food Science, 88, 3558-3550; Omori, K. K, Drucker, C. T., Okumura T. L. S., Carl N. B., Dinn B. T., Ly D., Sacapano K. N., Tajii A., Owens C. P. (2023) Structural characterization of a Lactobacillus chlorogenic acid esterase and investigation of its insertion domain dynamics. FEBS Letters, 597, 2946-2962; Standke H. G., Kim L., Owens, C. P. (2023) Purification and biochemical characterization of the DNA binding domain of the nitrogenase transcriptional activator NifA from Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus. The Protein Journal, 42, 802-810; Lo Verde, C., Pepra-Ameyaw, N. B., Drucker C. T., Okumura T. L. S., Lyon K. A., Muniz, J. C., Sermet C. S., Senger L. W., Owens C. P. (2022) A highly active esterase from Lactobacillus helveticus hydrolyzes chlorogenic acid in sunflower meal to prevent chlorogenic acid induced greening in sunflower protein isolates. Food Res. Int. 162, 111996; Pepra-Ameyaw, N. B., Lo Verde, C., Drucker C. T., Owens C. P., Senger L. W. (2023) Preventing chlorogenic acid quinone-induced greening in sunflower cookies by chlorogenic acid esterase and thiol-based dough conditioners. LWT 174, 114392; Medina, M. S., Bretzing K. O., Aviles, R. A., Chong, K. M., Espinoza, A., Garcia, C. N. G., Katz, B. B., Kharwa, R. N., Hernandez, A., Lee, J. L., Lee, T. M., Lo Verde, C., Strul, M. W., Wong, E. Y., Owens, C. P. (2021) CowN sustains nitrogenase turnover in the presence of the inhibitor carbon monoxide. J. Biol. Chem. 296, 100501; Chao, A., Sieminski, P. J., Owens, C. P., Goulding, C. W. (2019) Iron acquisition in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Chem. Rev. 119, 1193-1220; Owens, C. P., Tezcan F. A. (2018) Conformationally gated electron transfer in nitrogenase. Isolation, purification and characterization of nitrogenase from Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus. Meth. Enzymol. 599, 355-386; Katz F. E., Shi X., Owens C. P., Joseph, S., Tezcan F. A. (2017) Determination of nucleoside triphosphatase activities from measurement of true inorganic phosphate in the presence of labile phosphate compounds. Anal. Biochem. 520, 62-67; Katz F. E. H., Owens, C. P., Tezcan F. A. (2016) Electron Transfer Reactions in Biological Nitrogen Fixation, Isr. J. Chem. 56, 682-692; Owens, C. P., Katz, F. E. H., Carter, C. H., Oswald, V. F., Tezcan, F. A. (2016) Tyrosine-coordinated P-cluster in G. diazotrophicus nitrogenase: Evidence for the importance of O-based ligands in conformationally gated electron transfer. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 138, 10124-10127; Owens, C. P., Katz, F. E. H., Carter, C. H., Luca, M. A., Tezcan, F. A. (2015). Evidence for functionally relevant encounter complexes in nitrogenase catalysis. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 137, 12704-12712

Dr. Cedric Owens

Biography

Research Interests

Keywords

Recent Creative, Scholarly Work and Publications

Faculty Directories by School or College