Jason A. Berberich, Ph.D.
Education
- Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Kentucky 2001
- B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Kentucky 1998
Research Interests
- Biocatalysis and biotransformations
- Stabilization and immobilization of biocatalysts
- Application of biocatalysts in renewable energy, green chemistry, and chemical and biological weapons defense
- Medical diagnostics and therapeutics
Research Bio
Jason Berberich received his B.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kentucky. His graduate research was multidisciplinary in nature, working with engineers and biologists to find new applications for supercritical fluids and compressed gases in bioprocessing.
After graduation, he joined the research group of Dr. Alan Russell at the McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh where he was a postdoctoral associate. There he worked at the interface of chemistry, biology and materials science to apply enzymes in non-aqueous environments and to design enzyme-containing functional materials.
In 2004, Dr Berberich joined a start-up company called Agentase, where he focused on developing and commercializing enzyme-containing polymeric materials for a number of products in the food safety, medical diagnostics and chemical defense spaces. During part of his time there, he served as the Director of Development and Manager of Research.
Jason joined 兔子先生 University in 2012 as an assistant professor in the department of Chemical, Paper and Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Berberich’s research interests lie at the interface of biology, engineering and chemistry. He has received research funding from DARPA, the US EPA and Procter & Gamble. His current research interests include protein immobilization and stabilization, applied biocatalysis, protein engineering and biosensors. He is currently a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and the American Chemical Society (ACS).
Research Projects
- Enzymes and Proteins for sensor development
Professional Experience
- Manager, Enzyme Research, FLIR Systems (formerly ICx Technologies), Pittsburgh, PA, 2011–2012
- Director of Development, ICx Technologies, Pittsburgh, PA, 2008–2011
- Senior Research Engineering, ICx Technologies (formerly Agentase), Pittsburgh, PA, 2004–May 2008
Academic Appointments
- Assistant Professor of Chemical and Paper Engineering, 兔子先生 University, 2012–present
- Institute Scientist, McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Univ. of Pittsburgh, 2002–2003
- Research Associate, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Univ. of Pittsburgh, 2001–2002
Principal Publications
- Plaks, JG, Falatach, R, Kastantin, M, Berberich, JA, Kaar, JL (2015). Multisite Clickable Modification of Proteins Using Lipoic Acid Ligase. BIOCONJUGATE CHEMISTRY, 26 (6), pp. 1104-1112.
- Fitzgerald, MM, Bootsma, K, Berberich, JA, Sparks, JL (2015). Tunable Stress Relaxation Behavior of an Alginate-Polyacrylamide Hydrogel: Comparison with Muscle Tissue. BIOMACROMOLECULES, 16(5), pp. 1497-1505.
- Falatach, R, McGlone, C, Al-Abdul-Wahid, MS, Averick, S, Page, RC, Berberich, JA, Konkolewicz, D (2015). The best of both worlds: active enzymes by grafting-to followed by grafting-from a protein. CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS, 51(25), pp. 5343-5346. J.A. Berberich, M. Erbeldinger, J. Sinclair and J.P. Walker. Immobilization – Biological. In Encyclopedia of Catalysis, 2010.
- J.A. Berberich. Stress of Chemical Warfare. In The Encyclopedia of Stress. 2nd Edition, 2007.
- G.D. Bothun, Y.W. Kho, J.A. Berberich, J. Shofner, T. Robertson, K.J. Tatum, and B.L. Knutson. Surface Activity of Aqueous Lysozyme and Dipalmitoyl Phosphatidylcholine Vesicles at Compressed and Supercritical Fluid Interfaces, Journal of Physical Chemistry B, v109, p24495-24501, 2005.
- J.A. Berberich, L.W. Yang, J. Madura, I. Bahar, and A.J. Russell. A Stable Three- Enzyme Creatinine Biosensor. 1. Impact of Structure, Function and Environment on PEGylated and Immobilized Sarcosine Oxidase, Acta Biomaterialia, v1, p173-181, 2005.
- J.A. Berberich, L.W. Yang, I. Bahar, and A.J. Russell. A Stable Three-Enzyme Creatinine Biosensor. 2. Analysis of the Impact of Silver Ions on Creatine Amidinohydrolase, Acta Biomaterialia, v1, p183-191, 2005.
- J.A. Berberich, A. Chan, and M. Boden, and A.J. Russell. A Stable Three-Enzyme Creatinine Biosensor. 3. Immobilization of Creatinine Amidohydrolase and Sensor Development, Acta Biomaterialia, v1, p193-199, 2005.
- G.D. Bothun, B.L. Knutson, J.A. Berberich, H.J. Strobel, and S.E Nokes. Metabolic selectivity and growth of Clostridium thermocellum in Continuous Culture under Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, v65, p149- 157, 2004.
- A.J. Russell, J.L. Kaar, and J.A. Berberich. Using Biotechnology to Detect and Counteract Chemical Weapons, The Bridge (A publication of the National Academy of Engineering), p19-24, Winter 2003.
- J.A. Berberich, G.F. Drevon, R. Koepsel, and A.J. Russell. Biomaterials For Mediation of Chemical and Biological Warfare Agents, Annual Reviews in Biomedical Engineering, v5, p1-27, 2003.
- J.A. Berberich, J.L. Kaar, and A.J. Russell. Use of Salt Hydrate Pairs to Control Water Activity for Enzyme Catalysis in Ionic Liquids, Biotechnology Progress. v10. p1029-1032, 2003.
- J.L Kaar, A.M. Jesionowsk, J.A. Berberich, R. Moulton, and A.J. Russell. The Relationship Between Ionic Liquid Physical Properties and Enzyme Activity and Stability, Journal of the American Chemical Society, v125, p4125-4131, 2003.
- J.A. Luckman, J.A. Berberich, D.C. Conrad, and B.L. Knutson. Manipulation of the Liquid-Liquid Equilibrium of Vertrel-XF + Hydrocarbon Systems with the Addition of a Third Component, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, v41, p2792- 2797, 2002.
- J.A. Berberich, B.L. Knutson, H.J. Strobel, S. Tarhan, S.E. Nokes, and K. A. Dawson. Product Selectivity Shifts in Clostridium thermocellum in the Presence of Compressed Solvents, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, v39, p4500- 4505, December 2000.
- J.A. Berberich, B.L. Knutson, H.J. Strobel, S. Tarhan, S.E. Nokes, and K. A. Dawson. Toxicity Effects of Compressed and Supercritical Solvents on Microbial Metabolism, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, v70, p491-497, December 2000.
- B.L. Knutson, H.J. Strobel, S.E. Nokes, K.A. Dawson, J.A. Berberich and C.R. Jones. Effect of Pressurized Solvents on Ethanol Production by the Thermophilic Bacterium Clostridium thermocellum, Journal of Supercritical Fluids, v6, p149-156, November 1999.
Patents
- Co-inventor and co-author of the US patent entitled "Seafood Spoilage Indicator," 8,017,352, issued September 2011