Melissa Lucero

BSc Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

PhD Student in Chemistry (Chemical Biology)

Pines Graduate Fellow

Sloan Scholar

Publications

14. Zhao Z, Lucero MY, Su S, Xu JJ, Chan J. Activity-based sensing reveals elevated labile copper promotes liver aging via hepatic stem cell depletion. 2023, Deposited to ChemRxiv.

13. Rathnamalala CSL, Hernandez S, Lucero MY, Swartchick CB, Shaik AK, Hammer NI, East AK, Gwaltney SR, Chan J, Scott CN. Xanthene-based nitric oxide-responsive nanosensor for photoacoustic imaging in the SWIR window. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, e202214855.

12. Xu JJ, Lucero MY, Herndon NL, Lee MC, Chan J. Comparison of a minimally invasive transthoracic approach and a surgical method for intrapleural injection of tumor cells in mice. Comp. Med. 2022, Accepted.

11. Lucero MY, Gardner SH, Yadav AK, Borri A, Zhao Z, Chan J. Activity-based photoacoustic probes reveal elevated intestinal MGL and FAAH activity in a murine model of obesity. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, 61, e202211774.

10. Li J, Dong Y, Wei R, Jiang G, Yao C, Lv M, Wu Y, Gardner SH, Zhang F, Lucero MY, Huang J, Chen H, Ge G, Chan J, Chen J, Sun H, Luo X, Qian X, and Yang Y. Stable, Bright, and Long-Fluorescence-Lifetime Dyes for Deep-Near-Infrared Bioimaging. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 14351.

9. Yadav AK, Lee MC, Lucero MY, Reinhardt, CJ, Su S, Chan J. NIR bioluminescence probe enables discovery of diet-induced modulation of tumor microenvironment via nitric oxide. ACS Cent. Sci. 2022, 8, 461.

8. Lucero MY, Chan J. Photoacoustic imaging of elevated glutathione in models of lung cancer for companion diagnostic applications. Nat. Chem. 2021, 13, 1248–1256.

7. Lucero MY, Tang Y, Zhang CJ, Su S, Forzano JA, Garcia V, Huang X, Moreno D, Chan J. Activity-based photoacoustic probe for biopsy-free assessment of copper in murine models of Wilson’s disease and liver metastasis. PNAS 2021, 118, e2106943118.

6. Lucero MY, East AK, Chan J. Near-infrared II photoacoustic probes for nitric oxide sensing. Methods in Enzymology, 2021, 657, 157-180.

5. Tapia Hernandez R, Forzano JA, Lucero MY, Anorma C, Chan J. Acoustogenic probes: A demonstration to introduce the photoacoustic effect via analyte sensing. J. Chem. Educ. 2021, 98, 2618–2624.

4. Gardner SH, Brady CJ, Keeton C, Yadav AK, Mallojjala SC, Lucero MY, Su S, Yu Z, Hirschi JS, Mirica LM, Chan J. A general approach to convert hemicyanine dyes into highly optimized photoacoustic scaffolds for analyte sensing. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 18860–18866.

3. Lucero MY, East AK, Reinhardt CJ, Sedgwick AC, Su S, Lee MC, Chan J. Development of NIR-II photoacoustic probes tailored for deep-tissue sensing of nitric oxide. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 7196–7202.

2. East AK, Lucero MY, Chan J. New directions in activity-based sensing for in vivo near-infrared imaging. Chem. Sci. 2021, 12, 3393-3405.

1. Ogata F, Nagaya T, Maruoka Y, Akhigbe J, Meares A, Lucero MY, Satraitis A, Fujimura D, Okada R, Inagaki F, Choyke PL, Ptaszek M, and Kobayashi H. Activatable near-infrared fluorescence imaging using PEGylated bacteriochlorin-based chlorin and BODIPY-dyads as probes for detecting cancer. Bioconj. Chem. 2019, 30, 169-183.

Select Awards

9. Nobel Laureate Signature Award for Graduate Education in Chemistry - Student (2024)

8. ACS Division of Biological Chemistry Travel Grant (2022)

7. Fuson Travel Award (2021)

6. Pines Graduate Fellowship (2021)

5. Professor Gary Schuster Mentoring Scholarship (2021)

4. Pines Travel Award (2020)

3. ACS Bridge Travel Award (2020)

2. Amgen Scholarship (2016)

1. Organic Chemistry Award, American Chemical Society (2016)