Professor

A.B. ('78), University of California - Berkeley
M.Sc. ('83) University of Colorado - Boulder
Ph.D. ('91) Pennsylvania State University - University Park

OFFICE
Beury Hall 248

MAILING ADDRESS
Department of Chemistry
Beury Hall 130
1901 N. 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122

PHONE
office: 215-204-2027
fax: 215-204-0478
lab: 215-204-7114, -6320

E-MAIL
robert.stanley@temple.edu

RESEARCH GROUP

Biological / Photonics / Physical

Research Interests

A principal focus of our group is to understand the mechanism of DNA repair by the light-driven enzyme, DNA photolyase. DNA is often damaged by UV radiation that is not otherwise absorbed by the ozone layer. Photolyase is a FAD-containing (flavo)protein that uses light to drive an ultrafast electron transfer reaction between the protein and the bound DNA lesion. The transferred electron repairs the damaged DNA by an unknown mechanism. We are using ultrafast laser and biochemical techniques to unravel this mechanism. We also explore the details of substrate binding using state of the art fluorescence reporter and two photon excitation techniques.

A second area of interest centers around the electronic properties of flavins in flavoproteins. The redox properties of flavoenzymes are known to be sensitive to electronic interactions between the flavin cofactor and the protein host. We are studying these interactions quantitatively using Stark spectroscopy.

Selected Publications

Yang, KS.; Stanley, RJ. "The extent of DNA deformation in DNA photolyase-Substrate complexes: A solution state fluorescence study". Photochemistry and Photobiology 84 (3): 741-749 (2008).

Kodali, G.; Kistler, KA.; Matsika, S.; Stanley, RJ. "2-aminopurine excited state electronic structure measured by stark spectroscopy". Journal of Physical Chemistry B 112 (6): 1789-1795 (2008).

Salim, M.; Siddiqui, U.; Kodali, G.; Stanley, RJ. "Electronic transition dipole moment directions of reduced anionic flavin in stretched poly(vinyl alchohol) films". Journal of Physical Chemistry B 112 (1): 119-126 (2008).

Yang, KS.; Matsika, S.; Stanley, RJ. "6MAP, a fluorescent adenine analogue, is a probe of base flipping by DNA photolyase". Journal of Physical Chemistry B 111 (35): 10615-10625 (2007).

Yang, KS.; Stanley, RJ. "Differential distortion of substrate occurs when it binds to DNA photolyase: A 2-aminopurine study". Biochemistry 45 (37): 11239-11245 (2006).

Franzen, S.; Jasaitis, A.; Belyea, J.; Stanley RJ. "Hydrophobic distal pocket affects NO-heme geminate recombination dynamics in dehaloperoxidase and H64V myoglobin". Journal of Physical Chemistry B 110 (29): 14483-14493 (2006).

Stanley RJ.; Hou ZJ.; Yang AP. "The two-photon excitation cross section of 6MAP, a fluorescent adenine analogue". Journal Of Physical Chemistry B 109 (8): 3690-3695 (2005).

Siddiqui MSU.; Stanley RJ. “A cryogenic optical waveguide spectrometer for the measurement of low-temperature absorption spectra of dilute biological samples”. Analytical Biochemistry 337 (1): 121-129 (2005).

MacFarlane IV, A.W. & Stanley, R.J. "Cis-Syn Thymidine Dimer Repair by DNA Photolyase in Real Time". Biochemistry 42, 8558-8568 (2003).

Hopkins, N. & Stanley, R.J. "Measurement of the Electronic Properties of the Flavoprotein Old Yellow Enzyme (OYE) and the OYE:p-Cl Phenol Charge-Transfer Complex Using Stark Spectroscopy". Biochemistry 42, 991-999 (2003).

Franzen, S. & Stanley, R.J. "A theoretical explanation for quantum yield failure in bacterial photosynthetic reaction centers". Chemical Physics 276, 115-127 (2002).