Faculty: Dragan Isailovic, Ph.D.
Professor
Email: Dragan.Isailovic@utoledo.edu
Office: BO1086F
Phone: (419) 530-5523
Fax: (419) 530-4033
Professional Background:
Dipl. in Phy. Chemistry 1998: University of Belgrade
Ph.D. 2005: Iowa State University
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2006-08: Indiana University
Publications
Research Synopsis:
The development of new experimental tools of bioanalytical and biophysical chemistry
is of the utmost importance to understand how each molecule plays its role in biological
systems. In general, I am interested in developing hyphenated imaging, separation,
and mass spectrometry methods for analysis of proteins, glycans, and other biomolecules.
More specifically, my research group will combine light microscopy and spectroscopy,
separation techniques, mass spectrometry, and biotechnology for analysis of biomolecules
in cells and tissues. Developed methodologies would be applied for qualitative and
quantitative studies of biological systems and disease diagnosis.
Research Details:
Dr. Isailovic’s research group has worked on independent and collaborative projects related to qualitative, quantitative, and imaging analyses of biomolecules in environmental samples as well as biological cells and tissues. Recent projects involved the analyses of cyanotoxins, such as microcystins, in water samples collected during harmful cyanobacterial blooms in Lake Erie using liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS). The students in Dr. Isailovic’s group have also been working with the collaborators on the development of materials for the removal of microcystins from water and the analyses of steroids in biofluids by LC-MS.
The following is a list of research topics studied by his research group and collaborators using primarily MS, fluorescence, and various imaging (microscopy, MS), and separation (gel electrophoresis, HPLC, and ion mobility spectrometry) methodologies:
- Identification and quantification of cyanotoxins in water and biofluids
- MALDI-MS analyses and imaging of microcystins in cells and tissues
- The development of materials for removal of microcystins from water
- Quantification of steroids in biofluids
- Analyses of peptides, proteins, glycans, and lipids by MS
- Proteomic biomarker analyses of human saliva
- Visible-wavelength MALDI-MS of biomolecules
- Quantification of proteins by fluorescence detection and MS
- Multimodal spectral imaging of biomolecules in cells
- Investigation of energy transfer involving fluorescent proteins
Teaching:
Professor Isailovic has taught the following undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of Toledo
- Elementary Chemistry (CHEM 1090)
- Elementary Chemistry for Health Sciences (CHEM 1110)
- General Chemistry I (CHEM 1230)
- Analytical Chemistry (CHEM 3310)
- Instrumental Analysis (CHEM 4300)
- Advanced Laboratory III - Instrumental Analysis (CHEM 4880)
- Advanced Analytical Chemistry (CHEM 4305/6300/8300)
- Spectroscopic Methods & Analysis of Spectra (CHEM 4330/6330/8330)
- Mass Spectrometry (CHEM 4980/6980/8980)