Paul D Ellis
Laboratory Fellow, Fundamental and Computational Sciences Directorate, Biological Sciences Division, Macromolecular Structure and DynamicsDual Assignment
WR Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory / High Field NMR Facility
Current Activities and Projects
Dr. Ellis is performing low-temperature solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of zinc sites in the metalloproteins. These low-temperature methods are used to provide a sensitivity to characterize zinc sites in proteins such as carbonic anhydrase.
Research Interests
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
- Low-temperature NMR techniques applied to problems in bioinorganic chemistry
- Phenomenological Theory--static and dynamic lineshape analysis and the extraction of NMR parameters from these lineshapes
- Molecular theory of magnetic resonance parameters--chemical shifts, quadrupole coupling constants, indirect nuclear spin couplings
- Multinuclear magnetic resonance methods
- Application of DNP methods to surfaces
Structural Biology
- Structure/Function relationships in DNA repair and bioremediation proteins
- Structure/function relationships in metallobiochemistry
- Application of ultra-high field magnetic resonance methods to problems in structural biology
Heterogeneous Catalysis
- Structure and dynamics of small molecules adsorbed to oxide surfaces and metals on oxide supports
- Elucidation of the role of promoters in catalysis
- Exploration of catalytic dechlorination reactions
Past Experience
Dr. Ellis spent 23 years at the University of South Carolina (USC) as a Professor of Chemistry, where he was selected as the George H. Bunch, Sr., Professor of Science in 1984. He performed sabbatical studies with Professor J. S. Waugh of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1976-77) and Professors R. R. and R. L. Vold, University of California at San Diego (1983-84). In 1993 he left USC to accept the position of Associate Director of the Macromolecular Structure & Dynamics Directorate. Dr. Ellis has authored more than 170 papers and publications.
Education
Dr. Ellis received his B.S. in Chemistry in 1966 and his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1970 from the University of California at Davis. His thesis research centered around the understanding of the factors responsible for the carbon chemical shift differences between cis and trans disubstituted ethylenes.
Awards, Honors, & Appointments
- Member of the Journal of Magnetic Resonance editorial board (2003)
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Fellow (1999 - present)
- National Institutes of Health Reviewers Reserve (1995-99)
- Member BBCA Study Section: National Institutes of Health General Medical Sciences (1991-95)
- World Bank Visiting Scholar in China (1991)
- Co-recipient of the South Carolina Governor's Award for Excellence in Science (1990)
- Editorial Advisory Board for "Concepts in Magnetic Resonance" (1989)
- Advisory Committee for the Biological Facilities Centers Program, NSF (1987-89)
- Chairman, Gordon Conference on Magnetic Resonance in Biology and Medicine (1986)
- South Carolina Chemist of the Year (1985)
- George H. Bunch, Sr., Professor of Science (1984)
- Chairman Elect, Gordon Conference on Magnetic Resonance in Biology and Medicine (1984)
- Editorial Advisory Board for "Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry" (1984)
- Director Regional Instrumentation Facility in NMR Spectroscopy (sponsored by NSF; 1978-88)
- Chairman, Experimental NMR Conference (1977)
- A. P. Sloan Foundation Fellow (1977-79)
- Russell Award for Science and Engineering (1976)
