Philip J. Laipis, Professor and Associate Chair at Biochemistry UF

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Philip J. Laipis

Professor and Associate Chair

Ph.D., Stanford University, 1972

Research

eukaryotic gene regulation, organization, and evolution

Office:

R2-254 A

Lab:

R2-244 A

Telephone:

(352) 392-6870

Email:

plaipis@ufl.edu

Home Page:

http:// www.med.ufl.edu/biochem/plaipis/plaipis.html

BIOGRAPHY
Professor Philip Laipis received his Ph.D. in genetics from Stanford University in 1972. His thesis research with Dr. A.T. Ganesan examined the role of DNA polymerases and DNA ligase in repair and recombination of B. subtilis DNA. He joined A.J. Levine?s laboratory at Princeton University as a NIH postdoctoral fellow, and he studied replicating SV40 viral DNA. He joined the University of Florida in 1974. He rose to the rank of Professor in 1986. Dr. Laipis has served on the NIH Physiological Chemistry Study Section and since 1997 has been the Associate Chair of the Department.
RESEARCH DESCRIPTION
My lab studies replication and integration of Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV), structure/function of carbonic anhydrase (CA), and gene therapy for phenylketonuria (PKU). AAV, a small DNA virus, requires co-infection with helper virus for replication. Without helper, AAV integrates into human chromosome 19. My lab is defining the cellular requirements for AAV replication and integration, as well as characterizing the AAV Rep protein. My lab has cloned nine mammalian CA genes and made many amino acid mutations. This work has allowed use to analyze structure-function relationships, especially proton transfer. Experiments leading to a CAIII knockout mouse and isozyme specific inhibitors are in progress. Finally, my laboratory has cloned the gene for phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), developed AAV-based vectors expressing PAH and successfully cured PKU in the PAH^Enu2 mouse models. The ultimate goal is human clinical trials.