Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Temple 452
417/836-6291
E-mail: GaryMeints@missouristate.edu
Office Hours: 

Ph.D. - University of Washington, 2000
Physical/Biophysical Chemistry

Classes for Fall 2009

CHM 506/606  Physical Chemistry I
CHM 508/608  Physical Chemistry Laboratory I

Research Interests

Damage to the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) can lead to mutagenesis, cancer, and other serious medical conditions. Elaborate repair mechanisms have evolved in many species to deal with damage to their genomes. While a significant amount of information is known about the mechanisms of repair, there are still many mysteries. My current research interests include investigating the role of conformational flexibility of damaged DNA by determining the local (small scale) backbone motions. In particular, I am interested in how these motions assist interactions with repair proteins. Specific types of damage (lesions) include those with relevance to cancer-related mutagenesis and the associated repair mechanisms, such as lesions caused by reactive oxygen species, environmental contaminants, UV radiation, and base pair mismatches. Local DNA motions are determined using solid-state deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), in collaboration with research universities. NMR is a powerful tool for determining numerous types of molecular properties. Students in my group will learn a wide array of skills including organic synthesis and solid- and solution-state NMR (using our brand new departmental 400 MHz spectrometer) to aid in their investigations of DNA motions, and will discover how chemistry can bridge fields as diverse as physics and biology.

Professional Affiliations

American Chemical Society

Treasurer, Ozark Local Section

Council on Undergraduate Research