Markos Koutmos

Markos is set to join our faculty ranks in Fall 2018, but has already set up his research program here as a Research Assistant Professor in order to continue his NIH-funded research. He received his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the University of Athens, Greece (1998), and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Michigan under Dimitri Coucouvanis (2005). He then did his postdoc work here in Biophysics under Martha Ludwig, and continued as a postdoc at the Life Sciences Institute under Biophysics affiliated faculty Janet L. Smith, and Rowena G. Matthews. After serving as a Research Investigator at LSI, he became an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland.

RESEARCH:
Markos’ research focuses on examining how biomolecular structure contributes to the processing pathways of two classes of molecules essential for human health: mitochondrial RNAs ((mt)RNAs) and vitamin B12. His work aims to uncover the molecular level details necessary to understand, and ultimately treat, diseases linked to dysfunctional biomolecular maturation mechanisms. He is also studying Methionine Synthase (MS), a large multi-domain protein responsible for generating methionine from homocysteine, and his work will provide an understanding of the relationship between MS function and B12 metabolism, and ultimately lay the groundwork for the development of therapeutics against diseases affected by modulations in the MS action.