Prof. Norman Chiu | NU Chemistry&Chemical Biology

Faculty Profile

Dr. Norman Chiu

Assistant Professor

305 Hurtig Hall
tel: 617.373.2822
fax: 617.373.8795
email: n.chiu@neu.edu

Analytical Chemistry and Biotechnology

Education

1987-1990 B.Sc. (Hon.), University of Liverpool, England.

1990-1992 M.Sc., University of Bristol, England.

1993-1998 Ph.D., University of Windsor, Canada.

1998-2001 Postdoctoral Fellow with Prof. Charles R. Cantor at Boston University.

1998-2001 Postdoctoral Fellow/Associate Scientist at Sequenom Inc., San Diego

Research Interests
Prof. Chiu's research interests focus on the development of new analytical methods for high throughput detection and quantitation of various biomolecules. An interdisciplinary approach that combines different techniques in molecular biology, nanotechnology, and analytical chemistry is being used.

Our current research projects can be divided into two major categories:

1. Genomics analysis.

Ø Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). Assay development and validation of potential SNP markers for prostate cancer.

Ø DNA adducts. Development of high throughput methods for mass spectroscopic measurements of DNA adducts and determination of their specific positions in the genomes. Co-PI with Prof. Paul Vouros.

Ø RNA. Improve the accuracy for measuring the molecular weight of large RNA molecules (>50nt).

2. Proteomics analysis.

Ø Prion Diseases. (a) Separation and detection of diseased prion proteins in biofluids. (b) Search for alternative diagnostic protein markers and treatments. Co-PI with Prof. Ira Krull.

Ø Environmental Studies. Development of specific immunoassays for various enzymatic markers for studying wastewater treatment bioreactors. Co-PI with Prof. James Wang.

Ø Novel Methodologies. Development of new methods for high throughput protein characterization. Co-PI with Prof. Mary Ondrechen

Selected Publications

1. "Heterobifunctional linker between antibodies and reporter genes for immunoassay development", Tannous B, Chiu NH, Christopoulos TK. Analytica Chimica Acta, 459, 169 (2002)

2. "Base-specific fragmentation of amplified 16S rRNA genes and mass spectrometry analysis: A novel tool for rapid bacterial identification", Wintzingerode FV, Bocker S, Schlotelburg C, Chiu NH, Storm N, Jurinke C, Van den Boom D. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 99, 7039 (2002).

3. "Sugar additives for MALDI matrices improve signal allowing the smallest nucleotide change (A:T) in a DNA sequence to be resolved", Shahgholi M, Garcia BA, Chiu NH, Heaney PJ, Tang K. Nucleic Acids Res., 29, e91 (2001).