Department of Chemistry
University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Avenue, CHE 205A
Tampa, FL 33620-5250
Office: (813) 745-8524, SRB 3
Email: koomenjm@moffitt.usf.edu
B.S., Guilford College, 1995
M.S., University of Texas at Houston, Graduate School of Biomedical Science, 1998
Ph.D., Texas A&M University, 2002
Research in Dr. Koomen's laboratory will focus on biomarker discovery using proteomics coupled to isolate organ perfusion in mouse models. Selected mouse organs, including liver, lung, and kidney, will be inoculated with human tumor cells. After tumors develop, the organs will be isolated ex vivo and perfused with protein-free buffer. Broadband protein identification and quantitation methods will be used to determine which tumor-related (human) and host response (mouse) proteins are observed in the effluent of these tumor-breading organs. From the list of protein identities, candidate biomarkers will be selected based on organ specificity, tumor specificity, and protein function; these markers will be further investigated using immunohistochemistry and validated by antibody-based methods in human sera from large populations of cancer patients and corresponding controls. Additional projects include development and application of novel methods to isolate selected compartments of the proteome and to prepare samples for mass spectrometry analysis.
Scientific Director, Proteomics Core Facility
Assistant Professor