Dr. Thomas Leustek

Contact Information

Mailing Address

Rutgers University
Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and the Environment
Foran Hall/ Cook Campus
59 Dudley Rd.
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
LEUSTEK@AESOP.RUTGERS.EDU

Campus Location

Office: Room 328A Foran Hall, 732-932-8165 x326
Lab: Room 328 Foran Hall, 732-932-8165 x3325

Research Interests

Research in the Leustek group focuses on a range projects all centered on amino acid metabolism, biochemistry, molecular biology and biotechnology. One project focuses on the enzymology of a key enzyme for sulfate assimilation called APS reductase, which controls the biosynthesis of cysteine. This enzyme has a novel structure that is unlike any other reductases and the research aims to understand the relationship between structure and function. Another project focuses on the biotechnological uses for APS reductase. Overexpression of this enzyme in several different species boosted sulfate reduction and increased the level of agriculturally important sulfur-containing compounds. A third project centers on understanding the mechanisms controlling methionine biosynthesis. Methionine is an essential amino acid for animal nutrition and there is considerable interest in the prospect for boosting methionine level in crops to increase their nutritional value. Other projects focus on the synthesis of amino acid analogs by plants, glutathione metabolism, on the use of amino acid metabolism genes as selection markers for transformation of plants, and on the control of transport and mobilization of amino acids.

Publications

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Rutgers Affiliations

1. Leustek Laboratory Website
2. Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and the Environment
3. Rutgers Plant Biology Graduate Program
4. Rutgers Biotechnology Undergraduate Program
5. Rutgers Food Science Graduate Program
6. Molecular Biosciences Graduate Program

Dr. Thomas Leustek joined the department in 1991 and was promoted to Professor in 2001.