Wieslaw Swietnicki, Ph.D.

15098 Glade Terrace, Greencastle, PA 17225

ws85d2a4@westpost.net
(717) 977 1975 home
Education
1989-1995 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Thesis: A Detailed Study of Enzymatic Specificity
of Hepatitis A Virus 3 C Proteinase
1976-1981 University of Wroclaw Wroclaw, PL
M.Sc., Physical Chemistry
Experience
2008 -2010 RDECOM-ECBC, APG, MD
Senior Research Scientist II
Continuation of development of small molecule inhibitors of Yersinia pestis type
III secretion virulence system
Achievements
Identification of small molecule inhibitors of bacterial secretion system with n
anomolar biological potency and broad spectrum activity
2003-2008 USAMRIID, Ft. Detrick, MD
Research Investigator
Design of recombinant vaccines against Streptococcus pyogenes
Functional study of type III secretion system from Yersinia pestis
Development of small molecule therapeutics directed against ATPase transport
motors of the virulence system
Achievements
Elucidation of multiple steps in human immune system inactivation by Spe-C prote
in from Streptococcus pyogenes
Elucidation of novel protein-protein interactions used by type III secretion sys
tem of Yersinia pestis and their role in virulence factor secretion
Design of genetically engineered live vaccine for Yersinia pestis

2000-2003 USAMRIID, Fort Detrick, MD

Senior Research Fellow
Design of recombinant vaccines against Streptococcus
pyogenes
Functional study of type III secretion system from Yersinia pestis

1996-2000 Case Western Reserve Univ. Cleveland, OH

Postdoctoral Fellow
Investigation of relationship between structure and pathogenicity
of human prion protein

Technical skills
Gene knockout, basic animal husbandry
Gene cloning and expression from bacteria, yeast and mammalian cells
Mammalian cell culture and assays
 Protein purification for structural studies
DNA/Protein database searching and sequence analysis
Enzyme kinetics, HTS assays
Thermodynamics and stability of proteins
Protein-ligand interactions, protein modeling

Managerial skills
Guided three technicians and one Ph.D.-level scientist on two projects
Coordinated multiteam effort on development of novel non-antibiotic bacterial th
erapeutics
References
James Markarian
US Army ECBC
APG, MD 21010
410-436-7226
james.markarian@us.army.mil
Mark Olson, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
USAMRIID
Ft. Detrick, MD 21702
301-619-4236
Mark.a.olson1@us.army.mil
Kamal Saikh
Principal Investigator
USAMRIID
Ft. Detrick, MD 21702
301-619-4807
Kamal.saikh@us.army.mil

Ad hoc Reviewer
Biochemistry
Journal of Molecular Biology
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Funding
2000-2003 Senior Fellowship from National Academy of Sciences,
FY08-10 Defense Threat Reduction Agency: Development of small molecule inhibitor
s effective against type III secretion system of Yersinia pestis,
FY09 ILIR co-PI: Biochemical characterization of Burkholderia mallei BsaS ATPase

Publications

1. Swietnicki, W., B.S. Powell, and J. Goodin, Yersinia pestis Yop secretion pro
tein F: purification, characterization, and protective efficacy against bubonic
plague. Protein Expr Purif, 2005. 42(1): p. 166-72.
2. Swietnicki, W., et al., Zinc binding and dimerization of Streptococcus pyogen
es pyrogenic exotoxin C are not essential for T-cell stimulation. J Biol Chem, 2
003. 278(11): p. 9885-95.
3. Swietnicki, W., et al., Novel protein-protein interactions of the Yersinia pe
stis type III secretion system elucidated with a matrix analysis by surface plas
mon resonance and mass spectrometry. J Biol Chem, 2004. 279(37): p. 38693-700.
4. Swietnicki, W., Folding aggregated proteins into functionally active forms. C
urr Opin Biotechnol, 2006. 17(4): p. 367-72.
5. Gabus, C., et al., The prion protein has RNA binding and chaperoning properti
es characteristic of nucleocapsid protein NCP7 of HIV-1. J Biol Chem, 2001. 276(
22): p. 19301-9.
6. Derrington, E., et al., PrPC has nucleic acid chaperoning properties similar
to the nucleocapsid protein of HIV-1. C R Biol, 2002. 325(1): p. 17-23.
7. Gabus, C., et al., The prion protein has DNA strand transfer properties simil
ar to retroviral nucleocapsid protein. J Mol Biol, 2001. 307(4): p. 1011-21.
8. Knaus, K.J., et al., Crystal structure of the human prion protein reveals a m
echanism for oligomerization. Nat Struct Biol, 2001. 8(9): p. 770-4.
9. Li, R., et al., Identification of an epitope in the C terminus of normal prio
n protein whose expression is modulated by binding events in the N terminus. J M
ol Biol, 2000. 301(3): p. 567-73.
10. Zhang, Y., et al., Solution structure of the E200K variant of human prion pr
otein. Implications for the mechanism of pathogenesis in familial prion diseases
. J Biol Chem, 2000. 275(43): p. 33650-4.
11. Swietnicki, W., et al., Aggregation and fibrillization of the recombinant hu
man prion protein huPrP90-231. Biochemistry, 2000. 39(2): p. 424-31.
12. Morillas, M., et al., Membrane environment alters the conformational structu
re of the recombinant human prion protein. J Biol Chem, 1999. 274(52): p. 36859-
65.
13. Swietnicki, W., et al., Familial mutations and the thermodynamic stability o
f the recombinant human prion protein. J Biol Chem, 1998. 273(47): p. 31048-52.
14. Swietnicki, W., et al., pH-dependent stability and conformation of the recom
binant human prion protein PrP(90-231). J Biol Chem, 1997. 272(44): p. 27517-20.
15. Johansson, P.J., et al., Fv structure of monoclonal antibody II-481 against
herpes simplex virus Fc gamma-binding glycoprotein gE contains immunodominant co
mplementarity determining region epitopes that react with human immunoglobulin M
rheumatoid factors. J Exp Med, 1994. 180(5): p. 1873-88.
16. Dunn, B.M., et al., Analysis of proteinase specificity by studies of peptide
substrates. The use of UV and fluorescence spectroscopy to quantitate rates of
enzymatic cleavage. Methods Mol Biol, 1994. 36: p. 225-43.
17. Jewell, D.A., et al., Hepatitis A virus 3C proteinase substrate specificity.
Biochemistry, 1992. 31(34): p. 7862-9.
18. Raab, R. and W. Swietnicki, Yersinia pestis YopD 150-287 fragment is partial
ly unfolded in the native state. Protein Expr Purif, 2008. 58(1): p. 53-60.
19. Swietnicki et al. Identification of small molecule inhibitors of Yersinia p
estis YscN ATPase - Manuscript in preparation.