Dr. Raheleh Ravanfar

Principal Research Interests

• Molecular Mechanism of Metalloproteins
• Bio-inspired Heterogeneous Catalysis Using Heme-containing Proteins
• Targeted Delivery and Controlled Release

Welcome to the Ravanfar Research Group!
We study the mechanisms of electron transfer in metalloproteins and engineer biomimetic scaffolds to address critical challenges. Our research integrates Bioinorganic Chemistry, Soft Matter Chemistry, and Spectroscopy. With a highly interdisciplinary team, we aim to develop innovative treatments and preventative strategies, crafting tailored solutions for diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

Representative Publications

1. Ravanfar R, Sheng Y, Gray HB, Winkler JR. Tryptophan Extends the Life of cytochrome P450. Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, 120 (50) e2317372120 (2023). PubMed Central ID: PMC10722969.
2. Ravanfar R, Sheng Y, Gray HB, Winkler JR. Tryptophan-96 in cytochrome P450 BM3 plays a key role in enzyme survival. FEBS Lett. 2023 Jan;597(1):59-64. PubMed Central ID: PMC9839481.
3. Ravanfar R, Sheng Y, Shahgholi M, Lomenick B, Jones J, Chou TF, Gray HB, Winkler JR. Surface cysteines could protect the SARS-CoV-2 main protease from oxidative damage. J Inorg Biochem. 2022 Sep;234:111886. PubMed Central ID: PMC9161685.
4. Morales M, Ravanfar R, Oyala PH, Gray HB, Winkler JR. Copper(II) Binding to the Intrinsically Disordered C-Terminal Peptide of SARS-CoV-2 Virulence Factor Nsp1. Inorg Chem. 2022 Jun 20;61(24):8992-8996. PubMed Central ID: PMC9195567.
5. Ravanfar R, Abbaspourrad A. Monitoring the heme iron state in horseradish peroxidase to detect ultratrace amounts of hydrogen peroxide in alcohols. RSC Adv. 2021 Mar 5;11(17):9901-9910. PubMed Central ID: PMC8695524.
6. Ravanfar R, Abbaspourrad A. The molecular mechanism of the photocatalytic oxidation reactions by horseradish peroxidase in the presence of histidine. Green Chemistry. 2020; 22(18):6105-6114.
7. Ravanfar R, Bayles C, Abbaspourrad A. Structural chemistry enables fluorescence of amino acids in the crystalline solid state. Crystal Growth & Design. 2020; 20(3):1673-1680. 1528-7483
8. Ravanfar R, Abbaspourrad A. l-Histidine Crystals as Efficient Vehicles to Deliver Hydrophobic Molecules. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2019 Oct 23;11(42):39376-39384. PubMed ID: 31580056.
9. Lee MC, Tan C, Ravanfar R, Abbaspourrad A. Ultrastable Water-in-Oil High Internal Phase Emulsions Featuring Interfacial and Biphasic Network Stabilization. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2019 Jul 24;11(29):26433-26441. PubMed ID: 31245993.
10. Ravanfar R, Celli GB, Abbaspourrad A. Controlling the Release from Enzyme-Responsive Microcapsules with a Smart Natural Shell. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2018 Feb 14;10(6):6046-6053. PubMed ID: 29356494.

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