Discovering & Engineering Microbiome Chemistry
The Bess Lab
PUBLICATIONS
25. Balsamo, J. M.; Yan, Y.; Thai, D.; Cologna, S. M.*; Bess, E. N.* Multiomic Analysis Reveals Molecular Pathways Associated with Intestinal Aggregation of α-Synuclein. ACS Chem. Biol., 2026, 21, 83–95.
24. Alam, Y.; Hakopian, S.; Ortiz de Ora, L.; Tamburini, I.; Avelar-Barragan, J.; Jung, S. ; Long, Z.; Chao, A.; Whiteson, K.; Jang, C.*; Bess, E. N.* Variation in Human Gut Microbiota Impacts Tamoxifen Pharmacokinetics. mBio, 2024, doi:10.1128/mbio.01679-24. Editor's Pick News Release.
23. Balsamo, J. M. ; Zhou, K.; Kammarchedu, V.; Ebrahimi, A.*; Bess, E. N.* Mechanistic Insight into Intestinal α-Synuclein Aggregation in Parkinson’s Disease Using a Laser-Printed Electrochemical Sensor. ACS Chemical Neuroscience, 2024. 15, 2623–2632.
22. Kyaw, T.S.; Zhang, C.; Sandy, M.; Trepka, K.; Zhang, S.; Ramirez Hernande, LA.; Ramirez, .; Goh, J.J.N.; Yu, K.; Dimassa, V.; Bess, E.N.; Brockert, J.G.; Dumlao, D.S.; Bisanz, J.E.; Turnbaugh, P.J. Human Gut Actinobacteria Boost Drug Absorption by Secreting P-Glycoprotein ATPase Inhibitors. iScience, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110122.
21. Ortiz de Ora, L.; Balsamo, J. M.; Uyeda, K. S.; Bess, E. N.* Discovery of a Gut Bacterial Metabolic Pathway that Drives α-Synuclein Aggregation. ACS Chemical Biology, 2024, 19, 1011-1021.
20. Rich, B.E.; Jackson, J. C.; Ortiz de Ora, L.; Long, Z. G.; Uyeda, K. S.; Bess. E. N.* Alternative Pathway for Dopamine Production by Acetogenic Gut Bacteria that O-Demethylate 3-Methoxytyramine, a Metabolite of Catechol O-Methyltransferase. J. Appl. Microbiol., 2022. 133, 1697-1708.
19. Ortiz de Ora, L.; Bess, E. N.* Emergence of C. elegans as a Model Organism for Dissecting the Gut–Brain Axis. mSystems, 2021, 6, e00755-21.
18. Maini Rekdal, V.; Bernadino, P. N.; Luescher, M. U.; Kiamehr, S.; Le, C.; Bisanz, J. E.; Turnbaugh, P. J.; Bess, E. N.; Balskus, E. P. A Widely Distributed Metalloenzyme Class Enables Gut Microbial Metabolism of Host- and Diet-Derived Catechols. eLife, 2020, 9, e50845.
17. Bisanz, J. E.; Soto-Perez, P.; Noecker, C.; Aksenov, A.; Lam, K. N.; Kenney, G. E.; Bess, E. N.; Haiser, H. J.; Kyaw, T. S.; Yu, F. B.; Rekdal, V. M.; Ha, C. W. Y.; Devkota, S.; Balskus, E. P.; Dorrestein, P. C.; Allen-Vercoe, E.; Turnbaugh, P. J. A Genomic Toolkit for the Mechanistic Dissection of Intractable Human Gut Bacteria. Cell Host Microbe 2020, 27, 1001-1013.e9.
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16. Bess, E. N.; Bisanz, J.; Yarza, F.; Bustion, A.; Rich, B. E.; Li, X.; Kitamura, S.; Waligurski, E.; Ang, Q. Y.; Alba, D. L.; Spanogiannopoulos, P.; Nayfach, S.; Koliwad, S. K.; Wolan, D. W.; Franke, A. A.; Turnbaugh, P. J. Genetic Basis for the Cooperative Bioactivation of Plant Lignans by Eggerthella lenta and Other Human Gut Bacteria. Nature Micro. 2020, 5, 56–66.
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15. Carmody, R.; Bisanz, B.; Bowen, B.; Maurice, C.; Lyalina, S.; Louie, K.; Treen, D.; Chadaideh, K.; Rekdal, V.; Bess, E. N.; Spanogiannopoulos, P.; Ang, Q. Y.; Bauer, K.; Balon, T.; Pollard K.; Northen, T.; Turnbaugh, T. Cooking Shapes the Structure and Function of the Gut Microbiome. Nature Micro. 2019, 4, 2052–2063.
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14. Maini Rekdal, V.; Bess, E. N.; Bisanz, J. E.; Turnbaugh, P. J.; Balskus, E. P. Discovery and Inhibition of an Interspecies Gut Bacterial Pathway for Levodopa Metabolism. Science 2019, 364, eaau6323.
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13. Spanogiannopoulos, P.; Bess, E. N.; Carmody, R. N.; Turnbaugh, P. J. The Microbial Pharmacists Within: A Metagenomic View of Xenobiotic Metabolism. Nature Rev. Microbiol. 2016, 14, 273–287.
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12. Sigman, M. S.; Harper, K. C.; Bess, E. N.; Milo, A. The Development of Multidimensional Analysis Tools for Asymmetric Catalysis and Beyond. Acc. Chem. Res. 2016, 49, 1292–1301.
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11. Mougel, V.; Santiago, C. B.; Zhizhko, P. A.; Bess, E. N.; Varga, J.; Frater, G.; Sigman, M. S.; Coperet, C. Quantitatively Analyzing Metathesis Catalyst Activity and Structural Features in Silica-Supported Tungsten Imido-Alkylidene Complexes. J. Am. Chem. Sci. 2015, 137, 6699–6704.
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10. Bess, E. N.; Guptill, D.; Davies, H. M. L.; Sigman, M. S. Using IR Vibrations to Quantitatively Describe and Predict Site-Selectivity in Multivariate Rh-Catalyzed C–H Functionalization. Chem. Sci. 2015, 6, 3057–3062.
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9. Bess, E. N.; Bischoff, A. J.; Sigman, M. S. Designer Substrate Library for Quantitative, Predictive Modeling of Reaction Performance. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2014, 111, 14698–14703.
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8. Bess, E. N.; DeLuca, R. J.; Tindall, D. J.; Oderinde, M. S.; Roizen, J. L.; Du Bois, J.; Sigman, M. S. Analyzing Site Selectivity in Rh2(esp)2-Catalyzed Intermolecular C–H Amination Reactions. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 5783–5789.
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7. Milo, A.; Bess, E. N.; Sigman, M. S. Interrogating Selectivity in Catalysis using Molecular Vibrations. Nature 2014, 507, 210–214.
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6. Bess, E. N.; Sigman, M. S. Distinctive Meta-Directing Group Effect for Iridium-Catalyzed 1,1-Diarylalkene Enantioselective Hydrogenation. Org. Lett. 2013, 15, 646–649. Highlighted in Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013, 52, 8795-8797.
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5. Bess, E. N.; Sigman, M. S. Linear Free Energy Relationships (LFERs) in Asymmetric Catalysis. In Asymmetric Synthesis II: More Methods and Applications, Christmann, M.; Bräse, S., Eds. Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA: Weinheim, 2012; pp 363–370.
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4. Harper, K. C.; Bess, E. N.; Sigman, M. S. Multidimensional Steric Parameters in the Analysis of Asymmetric Catalytic Reactions. Nature Chem. 2012, 4, 366–374.
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3. Sherwood, K.; Sugerman, S.; Bossart, P.; Bledsoe, J.; Barton, E.; Bernhisel, K.; Bess, E.; Madsen, T. EDOU Staffing by PAs: What are the Effects on Patient Outcomes? JAAPA 2011, 24, 31–37.
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2. Lingenfelter, E. M.; Davis, V.; Larrabee, K.; Bess, E.; Canning, P.; Madsen, T. 192: Cholesterol Screening and Intervention Compliance In Chest Pain Patients In the Emergency Department Observation Unit Setting. Ann. Emerg. Med. 2010, 56, S64.
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1. Bledsoe, J.; Hamilton, D.; Bess, E.; Holly, J.; Sturges, Z.; Madsen, T. Treatment of Low-risk Pulmonary Embolism Patients in a Chest Pain Unit. Crit. Pathw. Cardiol. 2010, 9, 212–215.