Richard C. Holz

Professor, Department of Chemistry
Provost, Colorado School of Mines

The Holz research group interfaces the general areas of bioinorganic chemistry, mechanistic enzymology, and biophysical chemistry.  The Holz group is interested in structure/function studies of metalloenzymes some of which are important industrial catalysts or antimicrobial targets.  Within these studies, students in the Holz group utilize a wide variety of biochemical and biophysical methods such as enzyme kinetics, site-directed mutagenesis, isothermal titration calorimetry, UV-Vis, NMR and EPR spectroscopies.  Current projects in the Holz group center on an NSF sponsored project to study the catalytic mechanism of nitrile hydratases (NHases) as well as a second project that examines the catalytic mechanism of the zinc dependent chlorothalonil hydrolytic dehalogenase from pseudomonas sp. CTN-3 (Chd).

Office: Guggenheim Hall, Third Floor
Phone: 303.273.3003
Email: rholz@mines.edu

EDUCATION

  • • BS – Bemidji State University
    • MS – University of Minnesota-Duluth
    • Ph.D. – The Pennsylvania State University
    • Postdoctoral Study – NIH Fellow – University of Minnesota

Prof. Richard C. Holz’s Google Scholar Profile

 

CURRENT FUNDING

National Science Foundation (CHE-1808711) 8/15/2018 to 8/14/2021, “Collaborative Research on the Catalytic Mechanism of Nitrile Hydration Catalysts.”  The goals of this research are to elucidate the catalytic mechanism of nitrile hydratases (NHases, EC 4.2.1.84) and delineate the steps of metallocenter assembly in Fe-type NHases.  NHases can hydrate not only nitriles found in biological systems but also a wide range of synthetic nitriles.  Hence NHases are extensively used in preparative organic chemistry and in the industrial production of acrylamide and nicotinamide.  NHases have also proven useful in the cleanup of nitrile-based chemicals and pesticides from the environment.   Knowledge of the mechanisms that underscore their chemical reactivity and applications could provide an impetus for the development of new biocatalysts.  The research and education effort help promote teaching, training and learning for graduate and undergraduate students, particularly those from underrepresented groups and also enhances the infrastructure for research and education.