Ryan Nett, Ph.D.

Research

My research group will explore the chemistry that plants use to synthesize novel amino acids with interesting biological activities. Plants are prolific, natural chemists that produce a vast number of bioactive molecules, and these can serve as an important source of nutrients, exhibit desirable pharmaceutical properties, or impart toxic effects. Many dietary plants, including cucumbers and legumes, make unusual amino acids that have unique chemical properties and are not incorporated into proteins. However, little is known about how these non-proteinogenic amino acids (NPAAs) from plants are synthesized or how they affect human health. Using an approach that combines metabolic profiling, gene expression analysis, and rapid enzyme characterization, we will decipher the biosynthetic pathways that plants use to generate a diverse array of NPAAs. Additionally, we will take an untargeted approach to identify new NPAAs with unique structures from a broad selection of common dietary plants, and then profile the biological activities of these NPAAs to determine any toxic effects or promising therapeutic potential. Our work could facilitate the discovery of natural medicines and the engineering of safer crops with improved nutrition.