Chemistry Faculty

• Faculty and Staff Directory

Full-Time Faculty

• Dexter Criss
• Craig Hoag
• Linda Luck
• Edward Miller
• Thomas Moffett
• Fotis Nifiatis
• Ewa Pater

Associated Faculty

• George Flynn

Chemistry Program

• Overview

Take the Next Step

• Apply for Admission
• Request Information
• Quick Facts
• Visiting & Open Houses
• Virtual Tour
• Register for Courses

E-mail this page

Chemistry Faculty - Linda Luck

Professor
Co-coordinator of Biochemistry Program
Biochemistry, NMR Spectroscopy, Physical Biochemistry ,Bioinformatics, Biotechnology

I have just moved to SUNY Plattsburgh after spending 12 years at Clarkson University. Previous to that I was a Senior Scientist at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences at Research Triangle Park in North Carolina. I taught a number of courses ranging from Biology laboratories to NMR spectroscopy and Physical Biochemistry. In my career I have trained 1 senior scientist, 4 postdoctoral Students, 4 Ph.D students, 9 Masters students and over 70 Undergraduate research students in my laboratory. I served as Director of the Premedical Advising program at Clarkson University for six years. I also hold a position of Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Vermont College of Medicine.

My research laboratory has moved to Beaumont Hall at SUNY Plattsburgh and my goals are to understand how structure relates to function in biological molecules. In particular we are interested in studying how conformational changes that take place in proteins affect biological events such as the onset of Breast Cancer. In my laboratory we use proteins ranging from bacteria and human proteins including the Estrogen Receptor and Androgen Receptor. Recently we have developed biosensors from these proteins. My laboratory students use an array of methods spanning biophysics, biochemistry, protein engineering, and molecular biology. My students have access to modern tools of chemistry and biology including fluorescence, NMR, mass spectrometry, X-ray crystallography, electrochemistry, and molecular graphics.

Research

The Human Estrogen Receptor and Cancer

A present focus of my research is to explain the molecular basis for reproductive cancers especially breast cancer. Activation and control of the estrogen receptor play a critical role in both the development and progression of breast cancer. Transcriptional activation is thought to be stimulated via a ligand-dependent conformational change when ligands bind to the estrogen receptor. It is critical that we understand the molecular details of the interactions between the estrogen receptor and estradiol, antiestrogens and environmental estrogens. Although a crystal structure has provided us with a static picture of the hormone-binding domain of the estrogen receptor these data have not addressed the conformational changes that mediate the transcriptional events within the nucleus. We are investigating the use of NMR experiments to provide a greater understanding of how structurally diverse estrogens and antiestrogens interact with the estrogen receptor.

Biosensors for Endocrine Disruptors

Our laboratory is exploring the use of a Quartz Crystal Microbalance as a biosensor for the xenobiotic compounds that bind to the Estrogen and Androgen hormone receptors. One of the interesting and impending characteristics of the steroid receptors is their ability to tolerate large changes in ligand structure. A wide variety of diverse nonsteriodal compounds exhibit high affinity binding towards the steroid receptors, from such structural classes as pyrazole, stilbestrol, coumarin, isoflavones, and benzofurans. The behavior of compounds with respect to their steroid binding properties has proven difficult to predict because surprisingly, many bear no resemblance to endogenous steroids. Because such a diversity of compounds exhibit steroid behavior, and these compounds produce such dramatic and systemic effects, it is essential that we test new compounds before they are released into the environment where their effects on human and wildlife health could be enormous.

Got a question for Linda?

Contact her at Luckla@Plattsburgh.edu

Education

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, University of Vermont, Burlington, 1989
  Thesis title: Stereodynamics of Platinum Phosphine Complexes
• M.A. in Chemistry, State University of New York, Plattsburgh, 1980
  Thesis title: The Purification of Elongation Factor II in Protein Biosynthesis
• B.A. in Chemistry, State University of New York, Potsdam, 1974
• Medical Technology Internship 1973-1974, Medical Center at Princeton, Princeton, NJ
  American Society of Clinical Pathologists Registered Medical Technologist
• Postdoctoral Training:
  • Department of Chemistry/Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • Department of Biochemistry, Medical School, University of Vermont

Teaching Areas

• Biochemistry
• NMR Spectroscopy
• Physical Biochemistry
• Bioinformatics
• Biotechnology

Appointments

• Professor of Chemistry, SUNY Plattsburgh 2006
• Adjunct Professor, Department of Biochemistry at the University of Vermont College of Medicine 2006
• Professor of Chemistry and Biology, Clarkson University 2005-2006
• Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biology, Clarkson University 2000-2005
• Visiting Professor Department of Biochemistry at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. Spring 2003
• Director of Premedical Advising Program Clarkson University 2000-2006
• Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biology, Clarkson University 1994-2000
• Adjunct Senior Scientist W. Alton Jones Cell Center Lake Placid NY 1995-1998
• Senior Scientist, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 1993-1994

Awards

• Participant in AAMC Professional Development Seminar for Junior Women Faculty 1992
• Finn Wold Travel Award-Protein Society 1996
• Graham Research Faculty Award 2000
• Participant in COACh Professional Skills Development for Women Faculty 2002 and 2003

Grants

• US ARMY Breast Cancer Grant 1997-1999
• PRF American Chemical Society G 1999-2001
• PRF American Chemical Society AC 2001-2004
• NIH RO3 National Cancer Institute 2001-2004
• NSF Biosensors Grant 2003-2006
• DOD Concept Award 2006-2007
• NSF RET Award 2007
  

Selected Recent Publications

• Molecular Modeling of the Estrogen Receptor Using Molecular Operating Environment. Roy, U. and Luck, L.A., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 35 238-243. (2007)
• Immobilization of the Glucose-Galactose Receptor Protein onto a Au Electrode Through a Genetically Engineered Cysteine Residue. Wang, J., Luck, L.A. and Suni, I.I., Electrochemical and Solid-state Letters 10 (2) 133-136. (2007)
• Nanobiosensor Design Utilizing a Periplasmic E.coli Receptor Protein Immobilized within Au/Polycarbonate Nanopores. Tripathi, A., Wang, J., Luck, L.A. and Suni, I.I., Analytical Chemistry 79 (3) 1266-1270. (2007)
• Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Immobilized Protein Receptors: A Comparison of Response to Ligand Binding for Direct Protein Immobilization and Protein Attachment via a Disulfide Linker. Baltus, R.E, Carmon, K.S., and Luck, L.A., Langmuir 23 3990-3995. (2007)
• Change in Rigidity in the Activated Form of the Glucose/Galactose Receptor from E.coli: A Phenonmenon that will be Key to the Development of Piezoelectric Biosensors. Sokolov, I. Subba-Rao, V. and Luck, L.A., Biophysical J. 90, 1055-1063. (2006)
• A Biosensor for Estrogenic Substances using a Quartz Crystal Microbalance. Carmon, K.S., Baltus, R.E.and Luck, L.A., Analytical Biochemistry 345, 277-283. (2005)
• Electrochemical Impedance Biosensor for Glucose Detection Utilizing a Periplasmic E. coli Receptor Protein. Wang, J., Carmon, K. S., Luck, L.A. and Suni, I.I., Electrochemical and Solid-state Letters 8, 61-64. (2005)
• A Piezoelectric Quartz Crystal Biosensor: The Use of Two Single Cysteine Mutants of the Periplasmic E.coli Glucose/Galactose Receptor as Target Proteins for the Detection of Glucose. Carmon, K.S., Baltus, R.E. and Luck, L.A., Biochemistry 43, 14249-14256. (2004)
• 19F NMR Studies of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1. Abbott, G.L., Blouse, G.E., Perron, M.J., Shore, J.D., Luck, L.A. and Szabo, A.G., Biochemistry 43, 1507-1519. (2004)
• X-Ray Structures of the Leucine-binding Protein Illustrate Conformational Changes and the Basis of Ligand Specificity. Magnusson, U., Salopek-Sondi, B., Luck, L.A., and Mowbray, S. L. J. Biol. Chem. 279, 8747-8752. (2004)
• Chemisorptions of Bacterial Receptors for Hydrophobic Amino Acids and Sugars on Gold for Biosensor Applications: A Surface Plasmon Resonance Study of Genetically Engineered Proteins. Luck, L.A., Moravan, M.J., Garland, J.E., Salopek-Sondi, B. and Roy, D., Biosensors and Bioelectronics 19, 249-259. (2003)
• Insight into the Stability of the Hydrophobic Amino Acid Binding Proteins of E.coli: Assessing the Proteins for use as Biosensors. Salopek-Sondi, B., Skeels, M.C., Swartz, D. and Luck, L.A., Proteins: Structure, Function and Genetics 53, (2) 273-281. (2003)
• 19F NMR Studies of the Leucine-Isoleucine-Valine Binding Protein: Evidence That a Closed Conformation Exists in Solution. Salopek-Sondi, B., Vaughn, M.D., Skeels, M.C., Honek, J.F. and Luck, L.A., Journal of Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics 21, 235-246. (2003)
• Exploring the Role of Amino Acid-18 of the Leucine Binding Proteins of E. coli. Salopek-Sondi, B., Adams, P.S., Swartz, D. and Luck, L.A., Journal of Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics 20, 381-388. (2002)
• 19F NMR Study of the L-Leucine Specific Binding Protein of E. coli: Mutagenesis and Assignment of the 5-Florotryptophan Labeled Residues. Salopek-Sondi, B. and Luck, L.A., Protein Engineering 15, 857-861. (2002)
• Quantitative Analysis of Tryptophan Analogue Incorporation in Recombinant Proteins. Senear, D.F., Mendelson, R.A., Stone, D., Luck, L.A., Rusinova, E. and Ross, J.B.A., Analytical Biochemistry 300, 77-86. (2002)
• Conformational Changes in the Human Estrogen Receptor Observed by Fluorine NMR. Luck, L.A., Barse, J.L., Luck, A.M. and Peck, C., Biochemical Biophysical Research Communications 270, 988-991. (2000)
• Fluorescence and 19F NMR Evidence that Phenylalanine and 4-L-Fluorophenylalanine Bind to the L-Leucine Specific Receptor of Escherichia coli. Luck, L.A. and Johnson, C., Protein Science 9, 2573-2576. (2000)

In Her Spare Time

In addition to my work I enjoy gardening and have recently started a vineyard near my home on Cumberland Head. I also take advantage of the outdoor life we have here in Plattsburgh. I like boating, cross country and downhill skiing, golf and hiking.

Contact Linda Luck

Office: Hudson Hall 319B
Phone: (518) 564-2116
E-mail: luckla@plattsburgh.edu