Timothy L. Born, Assistant Professor
 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

MSN 4D7

George Mason University
10900 University Blvd
Manassas, VA 20110
Phone: (703) 993-4171

Fax: (703) 993-4704
E-mail: tborn@gmu.edu
Offices: Bull Run Hall, Room 327

      Science & Tech 1, Room 360

Lab: Bull Run Hall, Room 349

 

News

·       FORENSICS - CERTIFICATE IN FORENSIC SCIENCE:  This graduate-level certificate is ideal for students who already have a Bachelor’s degree are interested in a career in forensic science.  Classes will be taught by George Mason faculty as well as local experts and students will receive the most up-to-date information and learn the techniques currently used in forensic science labs.  The certificate is ideal for professionals either currently working in or planning to enter into the fields of law enforcement and forensics. The certificate is especially designed for professionals who are interested in advancing their career goals, but who may not have adequate time available to undertake a graduate degree program, as all classes meet once a week and are offered at 4:30 or 7:20 PM.  A background in Chemistry or Biology is useful, but not required, since the program contains both science and non-science tracks.

·       BIOCHEMISTRY CONCENTRATION:  Students majoring in Chemistry have the option of enrolling in our Biochemistry Concentration.  This concentration is ideal for students interested in careers in biotechnology or health-related disciplines, as well as for students interested in continuing their education in a MS or PhD program.  The concentration allows students to take 9 credits of science electives in Chemistry of Biology, permitting health-oriented students to receive credit for classes such as anatomy, physiology, genetics, or immunology.  Students who are interested in research careers or continuing their education in graduate school can satisfy some of these credits by working in a research lab.  A link for the undergraduate research application is above.

 

Graduate Program

·       Undergraduate Students who are interested in obtaining both their BS and MS degrees in a five-year period may want to consider applying to our accelerated MS program.  Ideally, students should apply to this program by the time they have finished 90 credits. 

 

Classes:

 

 

Research Students Supervised (Current):

  • Sheema Bahemat – MS
  • Jim Bougie – BS/MS, currently in MS portion
  • Jonathan Champ – BS/MS, currently in BS portion
  • Jasmine Ohi – BS
  • Jaykumar Patel – BS/MS, currently in BS portion
  • Muzaffar Yusupov – BS/MS, currently in MS portion

 

Publications

 

Research Interests:

I have long been intrigued by enzymes; their catalytic power and specificity never cease to amaze me.  So it’s not surprising that my primary research interest lies in understanding enzyme catalytic mechanisms.  I have applied my interest in enzymology to a larger health problem: the development of bacterial resistance to all currently used antibiotics.  There are many ways to combat this problem, one of which is to identify new targets for the design of novel antibacterial compounds.  My group has begun investigating the two enzymes responsible for the first unique step in methionine biosynthesis, acylation of homoserine.  We are in the process of enzymatically characterizing these proteins and have begun experiments aimed at 3-D structure determination.  Our ultimate goal is to use this mechanistic and structural information in the rational design of inhibitors that may lead to new classes of antibiotics.

 

Education: