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Joris Beld

Joris Beld, PhD

Associate Professor


Department: Microbiology & Immunology

Education

  • Postdoctoral fellowship - UC San Diego, lab of Mike Burkart
  • PhD - ETH Zurich, Switzerland, lab of Don Hilvert
  • MSc - University of Twente, Netherlands, lab of David Reinhoudt

Joris Beld, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at Drexel University College of Medicine. He has a secondary appointment in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. Dr. Beld received his MSc from the University of Twente, while working in the laboratory of David Reinhoudt. His PhD research at ETH Zurich was completed in the laboratory of Don Hilvert, and he served as a postdoctoral fellow in Mike Burkart’s laboratory at UC San Diego.

Read Dr. Beld's Interview

Research Overview

In addition to his research interests in chemical biology and microbiology of secondary metabolism in various organisms, Dr. Beld is deploying mass spectrometry in the Center for Advanced Microbial Processing.

Visit the Center For Advanced Microbial Processing (CAMP)

Current students:

  • Amanda Platt (PhD, Microbiology & Immunology)
  • Daniel Kantner (MS, Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics)
  • Anh Nguyen Quach (undergraduate volunteer/COOP student)

Former students:

  • Haley Majer (PhD, Microbiology & Immunology)
  • Zhuo Kang (Ivy) (undergraduate volunteer)
  • Gabrielle Rose Beam (SURF student)
  • Kristen Buenconsejo (MS, Microbiology & Immunology)
  • Tucker Collins (MS, Neuroscience, with Sandhya Kortagere)
  • Tyra Davis (MS, Infectious Disease)
  • Nga Ying Eng (undergraduate volunteer and MS student)
  • Courtney Fesko (MS, Biochemistry)
  • Skarleth Moran (MS, Infectious Disease)
  • Tuan Vo (MS, Forensics)
  • Kaiwei Wang (KINSC student)
  • Sidney Hwang (KINSC student)
  • Rachael Wilson (undergraduate volunteer)

In every project we integrate mass spectrometry. Most projects are co-mentored with Amy T. Ma, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology.

Research Interests

Chemical biology and microbiology of secondary metabolism in various organisms

Research

Of all the drugs used in a hospital to treat patients, about 75% are secondary metabolite or secondary metabolite derived molecules. My lab is interested in all aspects of these metabolites, ranging from their biosynthesis and their microbiological role in nature to applications in the clinic.

Secondary Metabolism

Nature produces a wealth of compounds in primary and secondary metabolism. Traditionally, natural products, a key resource from secondary metabolism, have been studied at a chemical level before the gene clusters or enzymes responsible for their biosynthesis were known. Of late there is a strong trend in the opposite direction (“from gene to secondary metabolites”), especially strengthened by the recent technological breakthroughs in genome sequencing and bioinformatics. In my research group, we harvest a compilation of genomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic methods to explore fundamental questions within several lines of research.

Biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) of vancomycin

Biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) of vancomycin, highlighting the conveyor-belt assembly line of this non-ribosomal peptide synthase producing the important antibiotic vancomycin, produced in Amycolatopsis orientalis.

Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry, specifically tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is the method of choice to mine complex samples for new natural products. Coupled with sensitive liquid chromatography we have a pipeline from genome to secondary metabolite. Gas chromatography MS is ideal for screening engineered bacterial strains for small metabolites like terpenes, fatty acids or small polyketides.

Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry setups in the New College Building

Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry setups in the New College Building include (from left to right) a Waters Acquity UPLC-Synapt G2Si QTOF, Thermo Eksigent 2d-nano-lc-LTQ linear ion trap, Waters Alliance HPLC-QDA single quad and Sciex Perkin Elmer-triple-quad (Waters Alliance-ZQD single quad not shown).

Pathogenic Bacteria

Pathogenic bacteria have a fascinating arsenal of virulence factors. We explore the properties of these factors in biological assays.

Bacterial colonies on an agar surface expressing a synthase that produces a deep blue dye; the filter disk (white circle) is spotted with a molecule from another bacterium and a zone of inhibition is observed

Bacterial colonies on an agar surface expressing a synthase that produces a deep blue dye. The filter disk (white circle) is spotted with a molecule from another bacterium and a zone of inhibition is observed.

Others

Many other exciting projects in the field of secondary metabolism, pathogenic bacteria and mass spectrometry are being pursued.

Publications

Selected Publications
Full list can be found on Google Scholar

“Direct cobamide remodeling via additional function of cobamide biosynthesis protein CobS from Vibrio cholerae
MA AT*, Beld J
Journal of Bacteriology DOI: 10.1128/JB.00172-21, 2021
*corresponding author

“Whole genome sequencing of Streptomyces actuosus ISP-5337, Streptomyces sioyaensis B-5408, and Actinospica acidiphila B-2296 reveals secondary metabolomes with antibiotic potential”
Majer HM, Ehrlich RL, Ahmed A, Earl JP, Ehrlich GD, and Beld J
Biotechnology Reports, 29:e00596, 2021

"Specificity of cobamide remodeling, uptake and utilization in Vibrio cholerae
Ma AT*, Tyrell B, Beld J
Mol Microbiol, 113(1):89-102, 2020
*corresponding author

“Nicotine content from cigarettes submerged in soda”
Ershad M, Beld J, Mostafa A, Cruz MD, Vearrier D, Greenberg MI
Journal of Medical Toxicology, 2020

“Dissecting modular synthases through inhibition: A complementary chemical and genetic approach”
Beld J, Vickery CR, McCulloch IP, Sonnenschein EC, Noel JP, Burkart MD
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2020

“Molecular basis for interactions between an acyl carrier protein and a ketosynthase”
Milligan JC, Lee DJ, Jackson DR, Schaub AJ, Beld J, Barajas BJ, Hale JJ, Luo R, Burkart MD, Tsai, SC
Nature chemical biology, 2019

“Visualizing the chain-flipping mechanism in fatty acid biosynthesis”
Beld J, Cang H, Burkart MD
Angewandte Chemie, 2014

“Versatility of Acyl-Acyl Carrier Protein Synthetases”
Beld J, Finzel K and Burkart MD
Chemistry & Biology, Volume 21, Issue 10, 23 October 2014, Pages 1293-1299