Robert M. Hughes

Associate Professor,
Biological Chemistry

Office: SZ 564
Phone: 252-328-9730
E-mail: hughesr16@ecu.edu
Lab Website

  • Research Assistant Professor, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, UNC – Chapel Hill (2015-2016)
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, UNC-Chapel Hill (2011-2015)
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Duke University (2007-2011)
  • Ph.D., Bio-Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, UNC – Chapel Hill (2007)
  • Graduate Study in Physical Chemistry, East Carolina University (2002)
  • B.S./B.A., Washington and Lee University (1998)

Research Overview

Research in the Hughes lab focuses on the development of protein and small molecule-based reagents for the control and monitoring of biochemical pathways. One project in our lab focuses on the development of light-activated biosensors for the detection of oxidative stress (a precursor/predictor of numerous degenerative diseases) in cells. A second project is aimed at developing environmentally sensitive protein-based reagents that initiate biochemical pathways ending in cell death. Finally, we are developing library-based methods for the production of improved protein chimera via a linker optimization strategy. Other areas of interest include methods for the design and selection of improved biocatalysts.

Students performing research in our lab will have access to a wide variety of experimental techniques, including PCR, molecular cloning, protein expression and purification, western blotting, cell culture, fluorescence microscopy, and numerous biochemical assays.

Selected Publications

Anna I. Wurz, Clark Andersen, Joi P. Walker, Robert M. Hughes. Evolution of a Biocatalysis CURE for Organic Chemistry Students. J. Chem. Educ. 2024, 101, 8, 3163–3170

Noah Mann, Jahiem Hill, Kenneth Wang, Robert M. Hughes. OptoProfilin: A Single-Component Biosensor of Cellular Stress.  ChemBioChem 2024, 25, e202400007. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbic.202400007

Dalton T. Deane, Thomas A. Cope, Anna M. Schulz, Edward T. Bennett, and Robert M. Hughes. Design, Heterologous Expression, and Application of an Immobilized Protein Kinase. Bioconjugate Chemistry 2023 34 (1), 204-211. DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.2c00485 Article featured on front cover.

Wurz Anna I., Schulz Anna M., O’Bryant Collin T., Sharp Josephine F., Hughes Robert M. Cytoskeletal dysregulation and neurodegenerative disease: Formation, monitoring, and inhibition of cofilin-actin rods. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 2022, 16, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fncel.2022.982074    DOI=10.3389/fncel.2022.982074

Anna I. Wurz, Wyatt Paul Bunner, Erzsebet M. Szatmari, Robert M. Hughes. CRY-BARs: Versatile light-gated molecular tools for the remodeling of membrane architectures. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2022, DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102388

Ethan S. Quinn††*, Brian Sylcott*, Nathaneal T. Green††#, Joi P. Walker#, Robert M. Hughes#  3D Printed Laboratory Accessories as a Conduit for a Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Experience. *ECU College of Engineering and #ECU Department of Chemistry. Journal of College Science Teaching, accepted for publication.

Gagliardi PA, Dobrzyński M, Jacques MA, Dessauges C, Ender P, Blum Y, Hughes RM, Cohen AR, Pertz O. Collective ERK/Akt activity waves orchestrate epithelial homeostasis by driving apoptosis-induced survival. Developmental Cell. 2021 Jun 21;56(12):1712-1726.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.05.007. Epub 2021 Jun 2. PMID: 34081908.

Bunner, W. P., Dodson, R., Hughes, R. M.**, Szatmari, E. M.** Transfection and activation of CofActor, a light AND stress gated optogenetic tool, in primary hippocampal neuron cultures. Bio-Protocol 2021 Apr 20;11(8):e3990. doi: 10.21769/BioProtoc.3990. PMID: 34124292; PMCID: PMC8160542.

Wurz, A.I.†; O’Bryant, C.T.†; Hughes, R.M.** protaTETHER: A method for the incorporation of linkers in biomacromolecules, Methods in Enzymology, Academic Press, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.mie.2020.10.001.

Patel, M.P.†; Green, N.T.††; Burch, J.K.††; Kew, K.A.; Hughes, R.M.** Screening of Biocatalysts for Synthesis of the Wieland–Miescher Ketone. Catalysts 2020, 10, 1063.

Norris, JL††; Patel, T††; Dasari, AKR; Cope, TA††; Lim, KH; Hughes, RM**. Covalent and Non-Covalent Strategies for the Immobilization of Tobacco Etch Virus (TEV) Protease on Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles. Journal of Biotechnology 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiotec.2020.06.021

Hughes, R.M.; Virag, J.A. Harnessing the Power of Eph/ephrin Biosemiotics for Theranostic Applications. Pharmaceuticals 2020, 13, 112. https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/13/6/112/htm

Salem FB†, Bunner WP†, Prabhu V V, Kuyateh A-B†, O’Bryant CT†, Murashov AK, Szatmari EM**, Hughes RM**. CofActor: A light- and stress-gated optogenetic clustering tool to study disease-associated cytoskeletal dynamics in living cells. J Biol Chem 2020 May 18 jbc.RA119.012427. Available from: http://www.jbc.org/cgi/content/short/RA119.012427v1

Godwin WC††, Hoffmann GF††, Gray TJ, Hughes RM**. Imaging of Morphological and Biochemical Hallmarks of Apoptosis with Optimized Optogenetic Tools. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2019; doi: 10.1074/jbc.RA119.009141

Hughes, R.M. “A Compendium of Chemical and Genetic Approaches to Light Regulated Gene Transcription.” Critical Reviews in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. (2018) Jul 24:1-22. doi: 10.1080/10409238.2018.1487382.

Norris, J.L.; Hughes, R.M. “protaTETHER: A method for the incorporation of variable linker sequences in protein fusions.” (2018) FEBS OpenBio https://doi.org/10.1002/2211-5463.12414

O’Banion, C.P.; Priestman, M.L.; Hughes, R.M.; Herring, Laura; Capuzzi, Stephen; Lawrence, D.S.  (2018). Design and Profiling of a Subcellular Targeted Optogenetic cAMP-Dependent Protein Kinase. Cell Chemical Biology

Hughes RM, Marvin CM, Smith WJ, et al. “Phototriggered Secretion of Membrane Compartmentalized Bioactive Agents.”Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2016 doi: 10.1002/anie.201609731

Taslimi A, Zoltowski B, Miranda JG, Pathak GP, Hughes RM, Tucker CL. “Optimized second-generation CRY2-CIB dimerizers and photoactivatable Cre recombinase.” Nat Chem Biol. 2016 Jun;12(6):425-30. doi:10.1038/nchembio.2063. Epub 2016 Apr 11.

Hughes RM, Freeman DJ, Lamb KN, Pollett RM, Smith WJ, Lawrence DS. Optogenetic Engineering: Light-Triggered Cell Death. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2015

Rodgers ZL, Hughes RM, Doherty LM, Shell JR, Molesky BP, Brugh AM, Forbes MD, Moran AM, Lawrence DS. B(12)-mediated, long wavelength photopolymerization of hydrogels. J Am Chem Soc. 2015 Mar 11;137(9):3372-8. doi: 10.1021/jacs.5b00182.

Smith, Weston L.; Oien, Nathan P.; Hughes, Robert M.; Marvin, Christina L.; Rogers, Zachary L.; Lawrence, David S. “Cell-Mediated Assembly of Phototherapeutics.” Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2014 Aug 22. doi: 10.1002/anie.201406216.

Robert M. Hughes; Justin Varna; Adrianne M. C. Pittman; Junqi Song; Chandra L. Tucker. “A light-dependent, dark-promoted interaction of cryptochrome 1 and the Pr form of phytochrome B.” June 22, 2012 The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 287, 22165-22172.

Matthew J. Kennedy*; Robert M. Hughes*; Leslie A. Peteya; Joel W. Schwartz; Michael D. Ehlers; Chandra L. Tucker. “Rapid blue light induction of protein interactions in living cells” Nature Methods, 2010, 7(12):973-5.

Hughes, R. M.; Wiggins, K. R.; Khorasanizadeh, S.; Waters, M. L. “Recognition of Trimethylysine by the Chromodomain is not driven by the Hydrophobic Effect.” Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 2007, 104, 11184 – 11188.

Hughes, R. M.; Waters, M. L. “Arginine Methylation in a β-hairpin peptide: Implications for Arg-π interactions, ΔCp°, and the cold denatured state.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 12735-12742.

Hughes, R. M.; Waters, M. L. “Influence of N-Methylation on a Cation-π Interaction Produces a Remarkably Stable β-Hairpin Peptide.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 6518- 6519.