Structure and Biochemistry of Cytochromes P450 Involved in the Biosynthesis of Macrolide Antibiotics by Matthew D. DeMars II A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Chemical Biology) in the University of Michigan 2017 Doctoral Committee: Professor David H. Sherman, Chair Professor David P. Ballou Professor John Montgomery Professor Stephen W. Ragsdale Professor Janet L. Smith Matthew D. DeMars II
[email protected] ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7268-5286 © Matthew D. DeMars II 2017 Dedication This work is dedicated to the memory of my father, Matthew David DeMars. ii Acknowledgments I have been exceedingly fortunate to have worked with some exemplary scientists during the formative years of my scientific career, and it would simply be impossible to express the full depth and breadth of my gratitude in the rather limiting context of this acknowledgments section. Quite fortuitously, I joined the laboratory of Dr. Rudi Fasan as an undergraduate student at the University of Rochester. Although I had limited experience in carrying out research at the interface of chemistry and biology, Dr. Fasan recognized my potential as well as genuine interest in the project he had assigned me and provided me with a considerable degree of autonomy shortly after I joined his lab. The work that I carried out as an undergraduate helped to solidify my fundamental affinity for interdisciplinary research, providing me with the drive to apply to and matriculate at the University of Michigan in pursuit of an advanced degree in chemical biology. As I look back five years, it is surprising that Dr.