The University of Toledo

Susanne T. Nonekowksi

Susanne T. Nonekowski Lecturer 419-530-1979 BO 2831 snoneko@utnet.utoledo.edu

Institutions/Degrees

B.S., Biochemistry and in Medicinal Chemistry 1994    
State University of New York at Buffalo

Masters, Medicinal Chemistry 2000                                         
University of Michigan

Ph.D., Medicinal Chemistry 2001                                            
University of Michigan

Research

My focus at this time involves novel teaching methods particularly those that use technology to support active learning.  I am especially interested in methods that implement critical and problem based thinking skills in Medicinal Chemistry.  One of the best ways to encourage students to apply themselves and to become responsible for their own learning is to show them the value of the material being taught.  Teachers must be able to draw parallels between the information being presented inside the classroom and its uses in modern society.  The field of medicinal chemistry is full of examples in which an understanding of a biological process at a molecular level has been used to develop a new drug.  I strive to bring these “real world” applications into both my introductory and advanced classes, whether they are chemistry or biology courses.

Teaching

I have been involved in teaching a variety of undergraduate and graduate level courses offered by our department.  These courses include:

MBC 3310: Medicinal Chemistry I: Drug Action and Drug Design
MBC 3320: Medicinal Chemistry II: Drug Targeting to Receptors
MBC 3330: Applied Drug Design
MBC 3100: Practices in Pharmaceutical Research
MBC 3850: Immunology and Microbiology Laboratory
MBC 4710: Targeted Drug Design
MBC 6190: Advanced Medicinal Chemistry
MBC 6650: Advanced Biological Chemistry
MBC 7100: Research Practices in Medicinal Chemistry

Publications

Abold, A.T., Xiao-Jian, T., Nonekowski, S.T., and Garcia, G. A. (2005) "The Role of Aspartic Acid 143 in E. coli tRNA-Guanine Transglycosylase: Insights from Mutagenesis Studies and Computational Modeling”, Biophysical Journal, 89: 1965-1977.

Nonekowski, S.T., Kung, F.-L., and Garcia, G. A. (2002) "The E. coli tRNA-Guanine Transglycosylase Can Recognize and Modify DNA”, Journal of Biochemistry, 277 (9): 7178-7182.

Nonekowski, S.T. and Garcia, G. A. (2001) "tRNA Recognition by tRNA-Guanine Transglycosylase from Escherichia coli: The Role of U33 in U-G-U Recognition", RNA, 7: 1432-1441.

Kittendorf, J. D., Barcomb, L., Nonekowski, S. T., and Garcia, G. A. (2001) "tRNA-Guanine Transglycosylase from Escherichia coli: Molecular Mechanism and Role of Aspartate 89", Biochemistry, 40: 14123-14133.

Kung, F.-L., Nonekowski, S., and Garcia, G. A. (2000) "tRNA-Guanine Transglycosylase from Escherichia coli: Recognition of Noncognate-Cognate Chimeric tRNA and Discovery of a Novel Recognition Site Within the TYC Arm of tRNA^Phe" RNA 6(2): 233-244.