Scientific CV

1. Beatrice Huygues-Despointes, Ph.D
Beatrice.HDespointes@gmail.com • cell: (979) 229-6808 • home: (512) 467-4687
http://www.linkedin.com/in/beatricehuyghuesdespointes
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Dynamic, Motivated Senior Scientist with Excellent Managerial, Research, Teaching, and
Technical Skills in Biochemistry of Proteins.
• Efficient multi-tasker and innovator in design methods to study scientific projects.
• Current with developments in science of monoclonal antibodies, as well as amyloid formation,
solubility, folding and stability of proteins.
• Communicates and writes scientific knowledge concisely.
• Awarded $100,000, 2-year Texas grant; published 15 articles in prominent scientific journal
and 3 book chapters; taught chemistry lectures and labs; and spoke at 5 invited lectures.
• Coordinated a meeting on the role of proteins that combat diseases (Fall 2007).
• Excellent manager of technicians and students on analytical instruments and project
objectives.
• Technically proficient in many protein analytical tools and software.
• Computer savvy with various computer platforms and programs, including word-processing,
visual arts, and mathematical software.
• Organized and focused on important details while foreseeing the overall, high-level project
perspective.
EDUCATION
Texas A&M University System Health Science Center 1/1996 - 4/2001
Post-Doc in Physical Biochemistry with Dr. C. Nick Pace
Stanford University School of Medicine 9/1989 - 12/1995
Ph.D in Biophysics with Dr. Robert L. Baldwin
• Thesis Topic: "Helix Stabilizing Contributions of Polar Side-Chain Interactions in Short Peptides"
• Published four first-author peer revie w articles in Biochemistry and Protein Science.
• Accelerated Publication in Biochemistry. Huyghues-Despointes, B. M. P., Klingler, T. M., and
Baldwin, R. L. (1995). Measuring the strength of side chain hydrogen bonds in peptide helices:
the Gln-Asp (i, i + 4) interaction. Biochemistry 34, 13268-13271.
Louisiana State University 8/1984 - 5/1988
B.S. in Biochemistry (cum laude); 3 credits short of a Minor in Mathematics
WORK EXPERIENCE
XBiotech USA Inc. (Austin TX) 8/2008 - 7/2009
Quality Control - Senior Scientist
• Developed biophysical methods to characterize fully-human monoclonal antibodies by Capillary
Electrophoresis (CE), Denatured/Native Page, and Size Exclusion Chromatography.
• Achieved and exceeded quality control by determining antibody purity by pI, MW, and
Carbohydrate Analysis of each batch product.
• Certified (Feb. 2009) to run CE on the ProteomeLab PA800 by Beckman Coulter and
developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) for the instrument.
• Designed a non-clinical Stability Protocol for the Antibody product. Coordinated between
divisions and implemented the Stability Trial for the control and final product. Determined that

2. Beatrice Huygues-Despointes, Ph.D 2
product was stable at storage conditions for more than several months.
Blinn College (Bryan, TX) 8/2006 - 5/2008
Chemistry Department - Instructor
• Organized lesson plans, taught lectures and labs, and administered computerized homework
sessions, tests and finals.
Texas A&M University Health Science Center (College Station, TX) 1/1996 - 11/2007
Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine
Associate Research Scientist (Staff Scientist) 5/2001 - 11/2007
Investigated amyloid-like formation in model peptides and proteins by HPLC and transmission
electron microscopy. Examined the effect of net charge on the denatured state of RNase Sa.
Compared the contribution of ion-pair interactions to the stability of β-hairpin formation in a model
peptide by NMR, CD, and molecular dynamic simulations. Measured the pK values of histidine in the
folded and unfolded conformations of RNase Sa with net protein charge and salt concentration and
compared these results with current electrostatic protein models.
Assistant Research Scientist (Post-Doc) 1/1996 – 4/2001
Determined the conformational stabilities of Ribonuclease T1 and single-site variants and a series of
other proteins measured by hydrogen exchange using NMR and solvent denaturation using CD or
fluorescence showed similar values.
• Coordinated a journal club on the role of proteins that combat diseases (Fall 2007).
• Awarded an Advanced Research Proposal (ARP) Texas Grant “Insights in the Molecular Basis
of Amyloid Diseases”, Coinvestigator, 2 yrs, $100,000. 2006-2008.
• Developed and Managed Research Projects.
• Coordinated group meeting and journal club presentations on a weekly basis for over 15
years.
• Awarded 1st place for the poster competition at the Symposium on Structural Biology 2002
(University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas).
• Developed, investigated, and planned 18 peer-reviewed and chapter research articles
published in prominent Journals like Nature Structural Biology and Journal of Molecular
Biology. Selected examples include:
a. Huyghues-Despointes, B. M. P., Qu, X., Tsai, J., and Scholtz, J. M. (2006) Terminal Ion
Pairs Stabilize the Second b-Hairpin of the B1 Domain of Protein G. Proteins, 63, 1005-
1017.
b. Huyghues-Despointes, B. M. P., Thurlkell, R., Daily, M., Schell, D., Briggs, J.M.,
Antosiewicz, J.M., Pace, C. N., Scholtz, J. M. (2003) pK values of histidines in folded
and unfolded ribonuclease Sa: Effect of salt and net charge. J. Mol. Biol. 325, 1093-
1105.
c. Huyghues-Despointes, B. M. P., Scholtz, J. M., and Pace, C. N. (1999). Protein
conformational stabilities can be determined from hydrogen exchange rates. Nature
Structural Biology 6, 910-912.
• Designed Cover Art for an article in Journal of Molecular Biology (2003).
a. Laurents, D. V., Huyghues-Despointes, B. M. P., Bruix, M., Thurlkill, R. L., Schell, D.,
Newsom, S., Grimsley, G. R., Shaw, K. L. Treviño, S., Rico, M., Briggs, J.M.,
Antosiewicz, J.M., Scholtz, J.M., and Pace, C.N. (2003) Charge-Charge interactions
are the key determinants of the pK Values of the Ionizable Groups in Ribonuclease Sa
(pI=3.5) and a Basic Variant (pI=10.2). J. Mol. Biol. 325, 1077-1092 (cover article).
• Presented 5 invited research seminars.
• Awarded 1st place for the poster competition at the Symposium on Structural Biology 2002
(University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas).

3. Beatrice Huygues-Despointes, Ph.D 3
• Advised undergraduate and graduate students on their research and Lab techniques.
• Expert with Structural Biology, Molecular Biology and Proteomics techniques used for Protein
Analysis.
Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, LA) 1/1988 - 8/1989
Biochemistry Department - Research Assistant
• Measured the stabilities of disulfide folding intermediates in a bee venom peptide, apamin.
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories (Berkeley, CA) 8/1987 -
12/1987
DOE Undergraduate Research Fellow
• Developed methods for studying the metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene in human mammary
epithelial cells.
LSU Medical School (New Orleans, LA) 6/1987 - 8/1987
Summer Research Assistant
• Aided in the production and synchronization of purified 18-generation yeast cells.
M-Chem, Inc. (Westwego, LA) 6/1985 - 8/1985
Technician
• Performed quality control of detergents used in oil pipelines.
SKILLS
Molecular Biology: DNA isolation, Restriction Enzyme Digestion, PCR, Electroporation,
Transformation, Cloning Techniques, SDS-PAGE
Analytical Biochemistry: Protein Purification, Peptide Synthesis (FMOC chemistry), Capillary
Electrophoresis, HPLC, Ultracentrifugation.
Structural Biology: Circular Dichroism and Fluorescence spectroscopy, One- and Two-dimensional
NMR Techniques, Calorimetry, Protein Crystallization, Transmission Electron Microscopy.
Proteomics: 2D Gel Electrophoresis, MALDI Mass Spectrometry.
Computation: UNIX, Macintosh, and PC, FELIX and nmrPipe / nmrDraw software, Insight II, Grasp,
Molscript, Poisson-Boltzmann equation (UHBD), Kaleidagraph, Origin, MS Office Suite, Adobe
Photoshop, Canvas, Illustrator, ChemDraw , NCBI Blast/FASTA, ExPASY, Swiss-Pro, Rasmol, Pymol
HONORS AND AWARDS
2009 - Certificate of Achievement (2/2009)-Beckman Coulter-"Intro to Capillary Electrophoresis/CA"
and "32 Karat Software Training/CA"
2007 - Member of the American Chemical Society
2006 - Awarded an Advanced Research Proposal Texas Grant (ARP) "Insights in the Molecular Basis
of Amyloid Diseases", Coinvestigator, 2 yrs, $100,000.
2002 - Awarded 1st place for the poster competition at the Symposium on Structural Biology 2002
(University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas).
Post-doc Support: Robert A. Welch Foundation
Graduate Support: NIH Biophysics Training grant
Undergraduate Support: Virginia Rice Williams, Gertrude Bott Saucier, and T.H. Harris Fellowships
1987 - Department of Energy (DOE) Undergraduate Research Fellowship at Berkeley Laboratories

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