Grazyna Fraczkiewicz

JOB OBJECTIVE

Seeking an industrial research/development position where creative approach to problem solving and broad background in chemistry and analytical methods are required.

EDUCATION

1992 - present

Ph.D. Candidate in Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas. Expected date of graduation: Summer 1998. Thesis under Professor Roman S. Czernuszewicz on "Structural Dynamics of Blue Copper Active Sites from Resonance Raman Spectroscopy".

August, 1994

Inorganic Biochemistry Summer Workshop, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.

December, 1989

M.S. in Physical Chemistry and Spectroscopy, Wroclaw University, Wroclaw, Poland. Thesis under Professor Henryk Ratajczak on "Infrared Study of Temperature Induced Phase Transitions in Rb_wLi_xH_y(SO₄)_z Single Crystals".

AWARDS

1997

Bayer, Inc. Foundation Graduate Fellowship Award.

1993-1996

Robert A. Welch Foundation Research Fellowship.

SKILLS

Spectroscopic Techniques:

Extensive experience in Raman, FTIR, UV-Vis and CW lasers. Working knowledge of FPLC, TLC, NMR, EPR, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Skilled in instrument troubleshooting.

Laboratory Skills

Biochemical procedures for the separation, purification and reconstitution of metalloproteins, protein expression, biosynthesis of isotopically labeled metalloproteins, air-sensitive chemistry techniques, synthesis of small inorganc and organic molecules, wet chemistry.

COMPUTER

Hardware:

Silicon Graphics, IBM PC and compatibles, Macintosh.

Operating Systems:

DOS, Windows95, Macintosh OS, UNIX.

Software:

Experienced user of a wide variety of graphics, data processing and data visualization programs (RasMol, IGOR Pro, ChemDraw, MacDraw, PsiPlot, Origin, GRAMS/32, LabCalc), Normal Mode Analysis, word processors, spreadsheets, etc.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

1992-present

Research Assistant, University of Houston, Houston, Texas. Carried out an interdisciplinary research in the areas of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Spectroscopy and Molecular Biology.

• Pioneered the novel, site specific isotopic labeling of blue copper proteins.
• Created and characterized the novel metalloprotein active sites by addition of exogenous ligands and insertion of new metal ions.
• Studied the structural changes imposed on the metalloenzymes (nitrite reductase, manganese catalase, Mn-superoxide dismutase) upon ligand binding to their acive sites.
• Performed biosynthesis of isotopically labeled stellacyanin and its Q99M mutant (Dr. Joan Valentine's laboratory at University of California Los Angeles) and investigated their unusual pH dependent properties.
• Achieved quantitative understanding of the resonance Raman spectra of cupredoxins.
• Characterized various materials (polymers, glasses, small organic and inorganic compounds) using Raman spectroscopy.

1987-1989

M.Sc. Graduate Student, Wroclaw University, Wroclaw, Poland.

• Performed syntheses and polarized IR studies of temperature related phase transitions in ferroelectric and piezoelectric crystals.

INDUSTRIAL EXPERIENCE

June 1997

Technical Interpreter, Fina Technology, Inc., La Porte, Texas.

• Participated in business negotiations with foreign customers.

Summer 1986

Industrial Practical Trainee, POLLENA-WROCLAW, Wroclaw, Poland (surfactant industry).

Summer 1985

Industrial Practical Trainee, POLMOS, Inc., Wroclaw, Poland (distilling and food processing industry).

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

1992-1994

Teaching Assistant, University of Houston, Houston, Texas.

1990-1991

Teacher of mathematics and chemistry, 24th Middle School, Wroclaw, Poland.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

1992-present

Additional responsibilities as a graduate student at the University of Houston:

• Supervised undergraduate student (2) research.
• Trained new graduate students (6) in Raman Spectroscopy.
• Held group leader responsibilities in the absence of the advisor.
• Responsible for research group purchases of equipment and supplies.
• Organized departmental and group social events.
• Represented Chemistry Department in the Interdepartmental Sport Competition every year.

REFERENCES

Available upon request.

PUBLICATIONS

1. Czernuszewicz, R.S.; Fraczkiewicz, G.; Fraczkiewicz, R.; Dave, B.C. and Germanas, J.P. "Ground and Excited State Dynamics of Blue Cu Active Site from Resonance Raman Spectroscopy of Azurin" in Spectroscopy of Biological Molecules, Ed. Merlin, J.C.; Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht; The Netherlands, 1995, 273-276.

2. Vidakovic, M.; Fraczkiewicz, G.; Dave, B.; Czernuszewicz, R.; Germanas, J.P.; "The Environment of [2Fe-2S] Clusters in Ferredoxins: The Role of Residue 45 probed by Site-Directed Mutagenesis and Spectroscopic Analysis", Biochemistry, 1995, 34, 13906-13913.

3. Nersissian, A.M.; Mehrabian, Z.B.; Nalbandyan, R. M.; Fraczkiewicz, G.; Czernuszewicz, R.S.; Peisach, J.; Bender, C.J.; Herrmann, R.G.; and Valentine, J.S. "Cloning, Expression, and Spectroscopic Characterization of Cucumis sativus Stellacyanin in Its Non-glycosylated Form", Protein Science, 1996, 5, 1-9.

4. Vidakovic, M.; Fraczkiewicz, G.; Germanas, J.P. "Expression and Spectroscopic Characterization of the Hydrogenosomal [2Fe-2S] Ferredoxin from the Protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis", J. Biol. Chem., 1996, 271, 14734-14739.

5. Fraczkiewicz G.; Fraczkiewicz, R.; Germanas, J. and Czernuszewicz, R.S. "Vibrational Mode Mixing in Azurin" in Proceedings of the XV-th International Conference on Raman Spectroscopy, August 11-16, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.; Ed. Asher, S.A.; Stein, P.; John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1996 p. 404.

6. Fraczkiewicz, R.; Fraczkiewicz, G.; Czernuszewicz, R.S. "Toward Understanding the Vibrational Spectrum of Mononuclear Blue Copper Sites. Normal Mode Analysis for Pseudomonas aeruginosa Azurin from Resonance Raman Spectra of Multiple Isotopomers", submitted to J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1998.

7. Fraczkiewicz, G.; Nersissian, R.A.; Hart, J.P.; Valentine, J.S. and Czernuszewicz, R.S.; "A pH Dependent Study on Blue Copper Sites of Cucumber Stellacyanin and its Gln->Met Variant", J. Bioinorg. Chem., 1997, in press.

8. Wilkinson, E.C.; Dong, Y.; Zang, Y.; Fujii, H.; Fraczkiewicz, G.; Fraczkiewicz, R.; Czernuszewicz, R.S. and Que, L. Jr. "The Raman Signature of the Fe₂O₂ 'Diamond' Core" J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1998, 120, 955-962.

PRESENTATIONS

1. "Ground and Excited State Dynamics of Blue Copper Sites", with R.S. Czernuszewicz, B. C. Dave, and J. P. Germanas, 1994 NSF Inorganic Biochemistry Summer Workshop, University of Georgia, August 1994.

2. "Complexity of the Resonance Raman Spectra of Azurin", with R. S. Czernuszewicz, R. Fraczkiewicz, and J. P. Germanas, 1995 NSF Inorganic Biochemistry Summer Workshop, University of Georgia, August 1995.

3. "Understanding the Vibrational Spectrum of Blue Copper Sites", with R. S. Czernuszewicz, R. Fraczkiewicz, and J. P. Germanas, Gordon Research Conference on Metals in Biology, Ventura CA, January 1996.

4. "Understanding the Vibrational Spectrum of Blue Copper Sites", with R. S. Czernuszewicz, R. Fraczkiewicz, and J. P. Germanas, The First Structural Biology Symposium, Galveston, TX, March 1996.

5. "Vibrational Mode Mixing in Azurin", with R. S. Czernuszewicz, R. Fraczkiewicz, and J. P. Germanas, XV-th International Conference on Raman Spectroscopy, Pittsburgh, August 1996.

6. "Resonance Raman Study of Stellacyanin and its Q99M Mutant", with R. S. Czernuszewicz, The 52th Southwest Regional ACS Meeting, Houston, TX, October 1996 (oral presentation).

7. "A Met->Glu Replacement in Stellacyanin Does Not Produce Azurin Site", with R. S. Czernuszewicz, Gordon Research Conference on Metals in Biology, Ventura CA, January 1997.

8. "Description of Copper-Cysteinate Vibrations in the Type 1 Cu Site of Cupredoxins and the Cu_A Site of Cytochrome c Oxidase", with R. S. Czernuszewicz, and R. Fraczkiewicz, 8th International Conference on Bioinorganic Chemistry, Yokohama, Japan, July 1997.