Source: Interfolio F180
Michael Erb, PhD
Research Focus
The research in our laboratory is focused on developing chemical tools to target the transcriptional programs that drive cancer.
Chromatin and transcriptional biology
We use chemical tools and integrative transcriptional genomics to study the proteins that regulate pathogenic gene expression programs in cancer. Compared to genetic approaches, chemical tools allow us to better assign the direct mechanisms by which these proteins function in native living systems.
Target discovery
We use unbiased forward genetic approaches to motivate new targets for drug discovery. We focus on the discovery of targets with demonstrated roles in genetically-defined cancer sub-types. We also use forward genetics to uncover mechanisms of response and resistance to novel drug classes.
Drug discovery and chemical probes
Current efforts in the group are aimed at DNA-binding transcription factors, chromatin reader domains, and chromatin modifiers. We use diverse discovery chemistry approaches, including high-throughput screening, high-throughput medicinal chemistry, chemical proteomics, and chemically induced proximity to address the most compelling targets.
Education
Ph.D. (Biological and Biomedical Sciences), Harvard University, 2017B.A. (Biochemistry), Claremont McKenna College, 2014
Professional Experience
2017-2020 Scripps Fellow, The Scripps Research Institute2020-2023 Assistant Professor, The Scripps Research Institute
2023-present Associate Professor, The Scripps Research Institute
Awards & Professional Activities
2023 Baxter Young Investigators Award2022 Oral Presentation Travel Award, FASEB Reversible Protein Acetylation, Dorado, PR
2020 Ono Pharma Foundation Breakthrough Science Initiative Award
2019 Oral Presentation Award, FASEB Hematologic Malignancies Conference, Snowmass, CO
2018 NIH Director’s Early Independence Award (NIH DP5)
2017 Best Poster Award, FASEB Hematologic Malignancies Conference, Saxtons River, VT
2014 Best Thesis in Physical Sciences, Claremont McKenna College
2014 Phi Beta Kappa, Tau of California, Member
2013-2014 John Stauffer Scholarship for Academic Merit in Chemistry
2013 Goldwater Scholar Honorable Mention for Excellence in Mathematics Science and Engineering
2013 Rose Hills Foundation Summer Research Fellowship
2012-2015 Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, Associate Member
2012 Amgen Scholars Program, Summer Research Fellowship, UCLA
2012-2013 Dean’s List, Claremont McKenna College
2010-2011 Dean’s List, Villanova University
2010-2011 Merit-based academic scholarship, Villanova University
Selected Publications
Bishop, Timothy R.; Subramanian, Chitra; Bilotta, Eric M.; Garnar-Wortzel, Leopold; Ramos, Anissa R.; Zhang, Yuxiang; Asiaban, Joshua N.; Ott, Christopher J.; Rock, Charles O.; Erb, Mich A. Acetyl-CoA biosynthesis drives resistance to histone acetyltransferase inhibition. Nature Chemical Biology 2023.
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Zhang, Yuxiang; Remillard, David; Onubogu, Ugoma; Karakyriakou, Barbara; Asiaban, Joshua N.; Ramos, Anissa R.; Bowland, Kirsten; Bishop, Timothy R.; Barta, P A.; Nance, Stephanie; Durbin, A D.; Ott, Christopher J.; Janiszewska, Michalina; Cravatt, Benjamin F.; Erb, Mich A. Collateral lethality between HDAC1 and HDAC2 exploits cancer-specific NuRD complex vulnerabilities. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 2023.
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Garnar-Wortzel, Leopold; Bishop, Timothy R.; Kitamura, Seiya; Milosevich, Natalia; Asiaban, Joshua N.; Zhang, Xiaoyu; Zheng, Qinheng; Chen, Emily; Ramos, Anissa R.; Ackerman, Christopher J.; Hampton, Eric N.; Chatterjee, Arnab K.; Young, Travi S.; Hull, Mitchell V.; Sharpless, K B.; Cravatt, Benjamin F.; Wolan, Dennis W.; Erb, Mich A. Chemical Inhibition of ENL/AF9 YEATS Domains in Acute Leukemia. ACS Central Science 2021, 7, 815-830.
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Asiaban, Joshua N.; Milosevich, Natalia; Chen, Emily; Bishop, Timothy R.; Wang, Justin; Zhang, Yuxiang; Ackerman, Christopher J.; Hampton, Eric N.; Young, Travi S.; Hull, Mitchell V.; Cravatt, Benjamin F.; Erb, Mich A. Cell-Based Ligand Discovery for the ENL YEATS Domain. ACS Chemical Biology 2020, 15, 895-903.
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Erb, Michael A.; Schultz, Peter G.; Bollong, Michael J.; Zhang, Yuxiang; Schultz, Peter G.; Saghatelian, Alan; Moresco, James J.; Martinez, Thomas F.; Koh, Minseob; Ko, Yeonjin; Erb, Michael A.; Diedrich, Jolene K.; Chu, Qian; Bollong, Michael J.; Ahmad, Insha A short ORF-encoded transcriptional regulator.. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2021, e2021943118.
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Erb, Mich A.; Scott, Thomas G.; Li, Bin E.; Xie, Huafeng; Paulk, Joshiawa; Seo, Hyuk- S.; Souza, Amanda; Roberts, Justin M.; Dastjerdi, Shiva; Buckley, Dennis L.; Sanjana, N E.; Shalem, Ophir; Nabet, Behnam; Zeid, Rhamy; Offei-Addo, Nana K.; Dhe-Paganon, Sirano; Zhang, Feng; Orkin, Stuart H.; Winter, G E.; Bradner, Jam E. Transcription control by the ENL YEATS domain in acute leukaemia. Nature 2017, 543, 270-274.
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