“Look wise, say nothing, and grunt. Speech was given to conceal thought.“
Sir William Osler (1849 – 1919)
Ruth Muchiri, PhD
Lab Manager,
Linus Pauling Institute
Research Project: My research focus is on development of screening methods to support mechanism of action discovery efforts from natural product sources. This project involves developing and implementing high-throughput affinity selection-mass spectrometry (AS-MS) assay methods towards discovery of novel pharmacologically active compounds from botanical extracts. Some of the assays in development include pulsed ultrafiltration mass spectrometry (PUF-MS), magnetic microbead affinity selection screening (MagMASS), and size exclusion chromatography (SEC).
Biography: Dr. Muchiri obtained her bachelors of science in chemistry and biochemistry from the University of Nairobi in Kenya. She earned her Ph.D. in bioorganic chemistry from Michigan State University where her research concerned drug discovery from natural products related to Taxol. During postdoctoral training at the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy in Dr. van Breemen’s laboratory, Dr. Muchiri gained expertise in AS-MS and biomedical mass spectrometry of different small molecules and biomolecules. She has been at the forefront in automation of MagMASS, which has made screening complex libraries faster and more reproducible. Her interests are in discovery and development of medicinal compounds from natural products.
