| Research Interests: | DNA modification, bio-orthogonal labeling, biomolecular engineering, epigenomic tools, AdoMet-dependent methyltransferases |
| Present Position: | Distinguished Professor/Head of Department of Biological DNA Modification, Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University |
| Education: |
1981 - MSc in Organic Chemistry, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania 1987 - PhD in Bioorganic Chemistry, Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia 1998 - Doctor Habilitatus in Molecular Biology, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia |
| Experience (Past Positions): | 1981–1983 - Junior Research Fellow, Institute of Applied Enzymology, Vilnius 1981–1982 - Sabbatical leave: M.M. Shemyakin Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, Russia 1983–1987 - Research Fellow, Institute of Applied Enzymology, Vilnius 1987–1989 - Senior Research Fellow / Group Leader, Institute of Applied Enzymology, Vilnius 1990–1994 - Visiting Scientist, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY, USA with Sir Dr Richard J. Roberts (NL, FRS) 1995–2010 - Research Professor, Head of Laboratory, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius, Lithuania 2000 and 2002 - Visiting Professor, Osaka University, Japan 2010–present - Research Professor, Head of Department, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Lithuania |
| Nucleic Acids Chemistry (MSc/PhD level) | |
| Supervision of Doctoral Students: | Former PhD students: total 10/ 3 winners of the Best dissertation of the Year Prize, Lithuania |
| Awards: | 1995–2000 & 2001–2006 International Research Scholarship, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, US 1999–2000 & 2006–2007 State Research Fellowship of the Highest Degree, Lithuania 2001 & 2017 National Science Prize of Lithuania 2002 Invitation Fellowship, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan 2011 City of Vilnius Award of Merit for Science, Lithuania 2018 Distinguished Professor of Vilnius University, Lithuania 2018 Officer's Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas of Lithuania |
| Publications: | LABT_LMAVB |
| Granted patents: | EP1874790B1, US8008007B2, JP5129120B2. EP2414528B1, US8822146B2, US8889352B2, EP2414527B1, US9505797B2. US9347093B2, EP2776575B1, US9988673B2. EP3019194B1, EP3271478B1 |
| Academic Cooperation: | Kurt Wüthrich/Thomas Szyperski, NMR of DNA methyltransferases/ ETH Zürich, Switzerland Richard J. Roberts, Mechanism of DNA methyltransferases/ New England Biolabs, Ipswitch MA, USA Elmar Weinhold, Synthetic AdoMet analogs/ RWTH Aachen University, Germany Shoji Tajima, Mammalian DNA methyltransferases/ Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Japan Rob Neely/Johan Hofkens, Single molecule genotyping/ Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium Andrey Kulbachinskiy, Transcription mechanisms/ Institute of Molecular Genetics, Moscow, Russia Xuemei Chen, miRNA methylation/ Institute of Integrative Genome Biology, UC Riverside, CA, USA Artūras Petronis, Epigenome studies/Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto University, Canada Akira Matsuda, Mechanisms of DNA methyltransferases/Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan Christof Niehrs, Epigenome studies/ Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany Matthias Bochtler, TET oxygenases, IIMCB, Warsaw, Poland Douglas E. Feldman, DNA adenine methylation/ USC Los Angeles, USA |
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Projects and Grants: |
European Research Council (ERC): |
| Reseach Dissemination: |
https://www.cell.com/molecular-cell/fulltext/S1097-2765(22)00157-5 |
| Other Related Activities: |
Membership of Scientific societies: Open Life Sciences, Editorial Board member Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, Editorial Board member Vilnius University Senate, member. 2021 - EMBL-VU LSC Partnership Institute, Faculty Selection Committee member 2014 - Evaluator of Professor Candidates (Epigenetics), University of Tartu, Estonia 2016 - National Science Award Committee of Estonia, External Evaluator 2019 - Faculty selection and promotion Committee, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC) Strategic Council for RTD and Innovations, Government of Lithuania, Expert Panel Member 2019–2021 - National Coordination Committee for Human Genome Research, Member 2020–present - ERC Synergy Grants, Evaluation Panel member 2015–2017 - COST Review Panel, Medical and Health Sciences, National Representative External Reviewer for: EU Framework Program (FP7-People-2005–2015), The Royal Society (UK), Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR, France), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, Germany), Austrian Science Fund (FWF), Biomedical Research Council A-STAR (Singapore), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC, UK), Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA), National Science Centre (NCN, Poland), Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. |
| Languages: | Lithuanian, English, Russian |