Joseph Cotruvo
Professional Appointments and Affiliations
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Louis Martarano Career Development Professor
Office
220 Chemistry Building
University Park, PA 16802
Email: juc96@psu.edu
(814) 863-4869
Mailing Address
104 Chemistry Building
Education
Ph.D., Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012
A.B., Chemistry, Princeton University, 2006
Honors and Awards
Ed Stiefel Young Investigator Award (2022)
Sloan Research Fellowship (2021)
DOE Early Career Award (2020)
NSF CAREER Award (2019)
Charles E. Kaufman Foundation New Investigator Award (2018-2020)
Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund Postdoctoral Fellowship (2013-2016)
National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship (2008-2011)
Research
The Cotruvo lab uses biochemistry and chemical biology to understand metal selectivity in biological systems. We study how bacteria selectively acquire and utilize lanthanides and apply what we learn to design biotechnologies for rare earth detection, recovery, and separations. We also develop and apply new tools to study roles of transition metals (particularly iron and manganese) in infectious and neurodegenerative disease.
Recent Publications
Dong, Z., Mattocks, J.A., Deblonde, G.J.-P., Hu, D., Jiao, Y., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr., Park, D.M. Bridging hydrometallurgy and biochemistry: A protein-based process for recovery and separation of rare earth elements. ACS Cent. Sci. 2021, doi: 10.1021/acscentsci.1c00724. Link
Deblonde, G.J.-P., Mattocks, J.A., Dong, Z., Wooddy, T., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr., Zavarin, M. Capturing an elusive but critical element: Natural protein enables actinium chemistry. Sci. Adv. 2021, 7, eabk0273. Link
Liu, S., Featherston, E.R., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr., Baiz, C.R. Lanthanide-dependent coordination interactions in lanmodulin: A 2D IR and molecular dynamics simulations study. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2021, 23, 21690-21700. Link
Deblonde, G.J.-P., Mattocks, J.A., Wang, H., Gale, E.M., Kersting, A.E., Zavarin, M., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. Characterization of americium and curium complexes of the protein lanmodulin: A potential macromolecular mechanism for actinide mobility in the environment. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 15769-15783. Link
Featherston, E.R., Issertell, E.I., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. Probing lanmodulin's lanthanide recognition via sensitized luminescence yields a platform for quantification of terbium in acid mine drainage. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 14287-14299. Link
Mattocks, J.A., Tirsch, J.L., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. Determination of affinities of lanthanide-binding proteins using chelator-buffered titrations. Methods Enzymol. 2021, 651, 23-61. Link
Featherston, E.R., Mattocks, J.A., Tirsch, J.L., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. Heterologous expression, purification, and characterization of proteins in the lanthanome. Methods Enzymol. 2021, 650, 119-157. Link
Featherston, E.R. and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. The biochemistry of lanthanide acquisition, trafficking, and utilization. Biochim. Biophys. Acta Mol. Cell Res. 2021, 1868, 118864. Link
Mattocks, J.A. and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. Biological, biomolecular, and bio-inspired strategies for detection, extraction, and separations of lanthanides and actinides. Chem. Soc. Rev. 2020, 49, 8315-8334. Link
Deblonde, G.J.-P., Mattocks, J.A., Park, D.M., Reed, D.W., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr., and Jiao, Y. Selective and efficient biomacromolecular extraction of rare earth elements using lanmodulin. Inorg. Chem. 2020, 59, 11855-11867. Link
Xu, J. and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. The czcD (NiCo) riboswitch responds to iron(II). Biochemistry 2020, 59, 1508-1516. Link
Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. The chemistry of lanthanides in biology: Recent discoveries, emerging principles, and technological applications. ACS Cent. Sci. 2019, 5, 1496-1506. Link
Ho, J.V. and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. A periplasmic binding protein for pyrroloquinoline quinone. Biochemistry 2019, 58, 2665-2669. Link
Featherston, E.R., Rose, H.R., McBride, M.J., E.M. Taylor, Boal, A.K., and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. Biochemical and structural characterization of XoxG and XoxJ and their roles in lanthanide-dependent methanol dehydrogenase activity. ChemBioChem 2019, 20, 2360-2372. Link
Mattocks, J.A., Ho, J.V., and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. A selective, protein-based fluorescent sensor with picomolar affinity for rare earth elements. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 2857-2861. Link
Cook, E.C., Featherston, E.R., Showalter, S.A., and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. Structural basis for rare earth element recognition by Methylobacterium extorquens lanmodulin. Biochemistry 2019, 58, 120-125. Link
Cotruvo, J.A., Jr., Featherston, E.R., Mattocks, J.A., Ho, J.V., and Laremore, T.N. Lanmodulin: A highly selective lanthanide-binding protein from a lanthanide-utilizing bacterium. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 15056-15061. Link
Prior to Penn State (Selected):
Krishnamoorthy, L.,* Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.,* Chan, J., Kaluarachchi, H., Muchenditsi, A., Pendyala, V.S., Jia, S., Aron, A.T., Ackerman, C.M., Vander Wal, M.N., Guan, T., Smaga, L.P., Farhi, S.S., New, E.J., Lutsenko, S., and Chang, C.J. Copper regulates cyclic-AMP-dependent lipolysis. Nat. Chem. Biol., 2016, 12, 586-592. (*Co-first authors)
Cotruvo, J.A., Jr., Stich, T.A., Britt, R.D., and Stubbe, J. Mechanism of assembly of the dimanganese-tyrosyl radical cofactor of class Ib ribonucleotide reductase: Enzymatic generation of superoxide is required for tyrosine oxidation via a MnIIIMnIV intermediate. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 4027-4039.
Boal, A.K., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr., Stubbe, J., and Rosenzweig, A.C. Structural basis for activation of class Ib ribonucleotide reductase. Science 2010, 329, 1526-1530.
Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. and Stubbe, J. An active dimanganese(III)-tyrosyl radical cofactor in Escherichia coli class Ib ribonucleotide reductase. Biochemistry 2010, 49, 1297-1309.