Partha Basu
Professor and ChairChemistry and Chemical Biology
ude[dot]iupui[at]pusab
Metals in Biology
Over the past 22 years, as an independent researcher I have developed a program that studies metals in biological systems. Our research program is grounded at basic science but a direct implication to human lives and the environment. For example, for many years, we have been engaged in bacterial arsenic metabolism. We have demonstrated that a chicken feed additive, called roxarsone, can be easily degraded by bacteria releasing arsenic. Roxarsone itself is a proangiogenic molecule that functions through reactive nitrogen species in the human vascular cells. While this FDA approved compound was widely used in growing poultry, it has now been withdrawn from the market. On another front, we have developed a very sensitive fluorescent sensor for detecting lead in water. This molecule is very selective to lead (Pb2+) in the presence of other contaminants and thus shows a promise to be a useful tool in detecting lead.