Faculty Recruiting Seminar - Steve Knutson
Dec
3
2025
The Department of Chemistry presents: Steve Knutson
Princeton University
Title: The Chemical Biologist’s Toolkit: From RNA Editing to Interactome Mapping
Location: WEL 2.122
Refreshments served at 3:15pm
The chemical compositions and physical interactions among biomolecules are essential for all cellular functions and life itself. My research operates at the interface of chemistry and biology, focusing on the development and application of novel molecular tools to dissect these complex biological processes and inform therapeutic strategies. In this seminar, I will discuss my contributions in two distinct areas: the analysis of RNA editing and the advancement of photoredox proximity labeling. First, I will describe the creation of new methodologies for studying adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing. I will detail the development of chemical labeling approaches and the repurposing of the enzyme Endonuclease V into a versatile platform for the specific recognition, sequencing, quantification, and spatial imaging of A-to-I edited transcripts. This work produced new insights into this critical post-transcriptional modification, demonstrating key links with cancer and the innate immune response. Next, I will discuss my work in developing and applying the microenvironment mapping (µMap) photoproximity labeling platform. I will cover its basic mechanisms and use through intracellular profiling of protein and RNA localization in subcellular structures as well as interactomic phenotyping of HER2 across breast cancers, revealing novel mechanisms of drug resistance.