Saree Phongphanphanee
email:
fscisrph@ku.ac.th or saree.p@ku.ac.th
Education:
- B.Sc. (Physics) Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
- Ph.D. The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Japan
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute for Molecular Science, Japan
Research interests
1) Advanced Materials
2) Biological Materials
Understanding of biomolecular recognitions, a specific non-covalent binding between a biomolecule and another molecule, inspires for design of new nanomaterials that mimic the functional role of proteins. It is widely studied in various scientific research fields in order to understand the functional properties of biological molecules that will pave a way for numerous important applications, including medical treatment or biotechnological development, for example construction of enzymes, biosensors, genetic circuit, green energy, and drug design. Due to the complex nature of biological molecules, the study of biomolecular recognition using the method relying on theoretical background is a challenging task.
To study the biomolecular recognition problem, I have applied the 3D-RISM theory to investigate the mechanism of the processes. The 3D-RISM theory is the statistical mechanical integral equation of molecular liquid theory base on the site-site Ornstein-Zernike equation. The theory enables to calculate the distribution functions of solvents around and inside a solute, which are essential information to understand the selective binding or “recognition” of ligands by the biomolecule. Various thermodynamic properties, such as solvation free energy and partial molar volume, are also calculated from the distribution functions.
The main purpose of my research is to clarify theoretically the mechanism of the selective binding of small molecules and ions by protein, specific conduction through the membrane channel and selective adsorption of nanoporous materials. Recently, I have applied the theory to explain selectivity and transport functions of several membrane proteins, water channels (or known as aquaporin), proton channel (M2 channel in influenza virus), and potassium channel. My future work will primarily focus on understanding the mechanism underlying molecular recognition of biomolecule and biomaterials.
Selected Publications
1. Yoshida N., Kiyota Y., Phongphanphanee S., Maruyama Y., Imai T., Hirata F., “Statistical Mechanics Theory of Molecular Recognition and Pharmaceutical Design”, INTERNATIONAL REVIEWS IN PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY, 2011, 30, 445-478.
2. Phongphanphanee S., Yoshida N., Hirata F., “Molecular Recognition Explored by a Statistical-Mechanics Theory of Liquids.” CURRENT PHARMACEUTICAL DESIGN, 2011, 17, 1740-1757.
3. Phongphanphanee S., Rungrotmongkol T., Hannongbua S., Yoshida N., Hirata F., “Proton Transport through the Influenza A M2 Channel: Three-Dimensional Reference Interaction Site Model Study.” JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, 2010, 132, 9782-9788.
4. Phongphanphanee S., Yoshida N., Hirata F., “Molecular Selectivity in Aquaporin Channels Studied by the 3D- RISM Theory.” JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B, 2010, 114, 7967–7973.
5. Yoshida N., Imai T., Phongphanphanee S., Kovalenko A. ,Hirata F., “Molecular Recognition in Biomolecules Studied by Statistical-Mechanical Integral-Equation Theory of Liquids,” JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B, 2009, 113, 873-886.
