Yellowstone Times

William Walls, a doctoral student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Montana State University, is set to deliver a lecture as part of the Kopriva Science Seminar series. The event will take place on Thursday, February 6, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Byker Auditorium of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Building.

Walls' presentation is titled “Mechanistic Investigation of Radical SAM Peptide Epimerases Involved in RiPP Biosynthesis.” The seminar is open to the public without charge, and attendees are invited to a reception following the talk.

In his research under professor Joan Broderick, Walls examines enzymes that modify amino acid chains to develop antimicrobial properties. These enzymes, known as radical SAM enzymes, are among the largest superfamilies found in nature. With antimicrobial resistance posing significant public health challenges, Walls aims to understand how these enzymes facilitate reactions that produce strong antimicrobials.

The Kopriva Science Seminar Series Endowment was established by MSU’s College of Letters and Science in 1991 through a donation from Phil Kopriva, an alumnus who graduated in 1957 with degrees in biological sciences and chemistry. This endowment funds lectures focused on biomedical sciences and supports graduate students conducting research in complex biological systems or biomedical science. More information about past recipients can be found at www.montana.edu/lettersandscience/kopriva/fellowship.html.