CURRICULUM VITAE

Yury S. POLIKANOV, Ph.D.

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
900 SOUTH ASHLAND AVENUE, MBRB 4170, CHICAGO, IL 60607, USA
OFFICE: 1 (312) 413-2408 LAB FAX: 1 (312) 413-2691 E-MAIL: YURYP@UIC.EDU

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY AND EXPERTISE:

My research is focused on elucidating the structure and functions of the ribosome, understanding the basic
principles of protein synthesis in bacteria, the modes of action of ribosome-targeting antibiotics, and mechanisms
of drug resistance at a structural level. My laboratory uses a combination of cutting-edge X-ray crystallography
technique to determine atomic-resolution structures of the bacterial ribosome in functional complexes with
various translation factors and ribosome-targeting antibiotics and biochemical and microbiological techniques to
functionally characterize these complexes. Our studies provide the structural basis for the understanding of how
different elements of ribosome function together at the molecular level.
EDUCATION
2008 - 2015 Postdoctoral Training – Yale University (USA)
Major: Biophysics and Structural Biology
Advisor: Prof. Thomas A. Steitz
2004 - 2008 Ph.D. – University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/Rutgers University (USA)
Major: Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology
Thesis title: Mechanisms of communication over a distance on DNA and chromatin
Advisor: Prof. Vasily M. Studitsky
2003 - 2004 M.S. – Lomonosov Moscow State University (Moscow, Russia)
Major: Biochemistry/Molecular Biology
Thesis title: Role of DNA topology in distant enhancer-promoter communication in the in
vitro model system
Advisor: Prof. Vasily M. Studitsky
1999 - 2003 B.S. – Lomonosov Moscow State University (Moscow, Russia)
Major: Biochemistry/Molecular Biology
Thesis title: Suppression of gene expression using inverted repeats of the genes transformed into
genome of Drosophila melanogaster
Advisors: Prof. Vladimir A. Gvozdev & Prof. Yury Y. Shevelyov
RESEARCH POSITIONS
2015 – Curr. Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences,
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy,
University of Illinois at Chicago (Chicago, IL, USA)
2008 – 2015 HHMI Postdoctoral Associate in the laboratory of Prof. Thomas Steitz
Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University (New Haven, CT, USA)
2004 – 2008 Graduate Student at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/Rutgers University (Piscataway, NJ, USA)
2003 – 2004 Research Assistant in the laboratory of Prof. Vasily Studitsky
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/Rutgers University (Piscataway, NJ, USA)
2001 – 2003 Research Assistant in the laboratory of Prof. Vladimir Gvozdev
Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia)
Yury S. Polikanov, PhD CV Page 1 of 6
 CURRICULUM VITAE

AWARDS AND HONORS

2018 UIC Rising Star Award – Researcher of the Year (Chicago, USA)
2008 Achievement Award for Outstanding Thesis Research of Year 2008
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/Rutgers University (Piscataway, NJ, USA)
2008 N. Ronald Morris Award for Excellence in Research, Department of Pharmacology
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (Piscataway, NJ, USA)
2007, 2008 Chair, Microbiology team of judges at The North Jersey Regional Science Fair
Rutgers University (Piscataway, NJ, USA)
2005, 2006 Young Investigator Award, Department of Pharmacology
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (Piscataway, NJ, USA)
2004 Selected as the Best Student of Lomonosov Moscow State University of Year 2004
2004 Student Commencement Speaker at Lomonosov Moscow State University
2004 M.S. Dissertation receives Honors Degree and Gold Medal
Lomonosov Moscow State University (Moscow, Russia)
1999 Third prize (bronze medal) at the 10th International Biology Olympiad (Uppsala, Sweden)
1998, 1999 First prize (gold medal) at the All-Russian Biology Olympiad (Maykop, Russia)
1999 Second prize at the All-Russian George Soros Olympiad sponsored by George Soros Foundation
and International Soros Science Educational Program (Moscow, Russia)
1997 Third prize (bronze medal) at the All-Russian Biology Olympiad (Maykop, Russia)

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS * – corresponding author

1. Khabibullina NF, Tereshchenkov AG, Komarova ES, Syroegin EA, Shiriaev DI, Paleskava A, Kartsev VG,
Bogdanov AA, Konevega AL, Dontsova OA, Sergiev PV, Osterman IA*, and Polikanov YS*. (2019)
Structure of dirithromycin bound to the bacterial ribosome suggests new ways for rational improvement of
macrolides. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, doi: 10.1128/AAC.02266-18.
2. Svetlov MS, Plessa E, Chen CW, Bougas A, Krokidis MG, Dinos GP*, and Polikanov YS*. (2019) High-
resolution crystal structures of ribosome-bound chloramphenicol and erythromycin provide the ultimate basis
for their competition. RNA Journal, 25(5): 600-606.
3. Matsushita T, Sati G, Kondasinghe N, Pirrone M, Kato T, Waduge P, Kumar H, Sanchon A, Dobosz-
Bartoszek M, Shcherbakov D, Juhas M, Hobbie SN, Schrepfer T, Chow CS, Polikanov YS, Schacht J, Vasella
A, Böttger EC*, and Crich D*. (2019) Design, multigram synthesis, and in vitro and in vivo evaluation of
propylamycin: a semisynthetic 4,5-deoxystreptamine class aminoglycoside for the treatment of drug-resistant
Enterobacteriaceae and other Gram-negative pathogens. Journal of American Chemical Society, 141(12):
5051-5061.
4. Juhas M, Widlake E, Teo J, Huseby DL, Tyrrell JM, Polikanov YS, Ercan O, Petersson A, Cao S, Aboklaish
AF, Rominski A, Crich D, Böttger EC, Walsh TR, Hughes D, and Hobbie SN*. (2019) In vitro activity of
apramycin against multidrug-, carbapenem- and aminoglycoside-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and
Acinetobacter baumannii. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 74(4): 944-952.
5. Melnikov SV, Khabibullina NF, Mairhofer E, Vargas-Rodriguez O, Reynolds NM, Micura R*, Söll D*, and
Polikanov YS*. (2018) Mechanistic insights into the slow peptide bond formation with D-amino acids in the
ribosomal active site. Nucleic Acids Research 47(4): 2089-2100.
6. Pantel L, Florin T, Dobosz-Bartoszek M, Racine E, Sarciaux M, Serri M, Houard J, Campagne JM, Marcia
de Figueiredo R, Midrier C, Gaudriault S, Givaudan A, Lanois A, Forst S, Aumelas A, Cotteaux-Lautard C,
Bolla JM, Vingsbo Lundberg C, Huseby DL, Hughes D, Villain-Guillot P, Mankin AS*, Polikanov YS*, and
Gualtieri G*. (2018) Odilorhabdins, antibacterial agents that cause miscoding by binding at a new ribosomal
site. Molecular Cell 70(1): 83-94.

Yury S. Polikanov, PhD CV Page 2 of 6

 CURRICULUM VITAE
7. Lin J, Zhou D, Steitz TA*, Polikanov YS*, and Gagnon MG*. (2018) Ribosome-targeting antibiotics: Modes
of action, mechanisms of resistance, and implications for drug design. Annual Review of Biochemistry 87:
451-478.
8. Polikanov YS*, Aleksashin NA, Beckert B, and Wilson DN*. (2018) The mechanisms of action of ribosome-
targeting peptide antibiotics. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences 5: 48.
9. Tereshchenkov AG, Dobosz-Bartoszek M, Osterman IA, Marks J, Sergeeva VA, Kasatsky P, Komarova ES,
Stavrianidi AA, Rodin IA, Konevega AL, Sergiev PV, Sumbatyan NV, Mankin AS, Bogdanov AA*, and
Polikanov YS*. (2018) Binding and action of amino acid analogs of chloramphenicol upon the bacterial
ribosome. Journal of Molecular Biology 430(6): 842-852.
10. Sergiev PV, Aleksashin NA, Chugunova AA, Polikanov YS*, and Dontsova OA*. (2018) Structural and
evolutionary insights into ribosomal RNA methylation. Nature Chemical Biology 14(3): 226-235.
11. Metelev M, Osterman IA, Ghilarov D, Khabibullina NF, Yakimov A, Shabalin K, Utkina I, Travin DY,
Komarova ES, Serebryakova M, Artamonova T, Khodorkovskii M, Konevega AL, Sergiev PV, Severinov
K*, and Polikanov YS*. (2017) Klebsazolicin inhibits 70S ribosome by obstructing the peptide exit tunnel.
Nature Chemical Biology 13(10): 1129-1136.
12. Almutairi MM, Svetlov MS, Hansen DA, Khabibullina NF, Klepacki D, Kang HY, Sherman DH, Vázquez-
Laslop N, Polikanov YS*, and Mankin AS*. (2017) Co-produced natural ketolides methymycin and
pikromycin inhibit bacterial growth by preventing synthesis of a limited number of proteins. Nucleic Acids
Research 45(16): 9573-9582.
13. Osterman IA, Khabibullina NF, Komarova ES, Kasatsky P, Kartsev VG, Bogdanov AA, Dontsova OA,
Konevega AL*, Sergiev PV*, and Polikanov YS*. (2017) Madumycin II inhibits peptide bond formation by
forcing the peptidyl transferase center into an inactive state. Nucleic Acids Research 45(12): 7507-7514.
14. Karabadzhak AG, Petti LM, Barrera FN, Edwards APB, Moya-Rodríguez A, Polikanov YS, Freites JA,
Tobias DJ, Engelman DM*, and DiMaio D*. (2017) Two transmembrane dimers of the bovine papillomavirus
E5 oncoprotein clamp the PDGF β receptor in an active dimeric conformation. Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences USA 114(35): E7262-E7271.
15. Arenz S, Juette MF, Graf M, Nguyen F, Huter P, Polikanov YS*, Blanchard SC*, and Wilson DN*. (2016)
Structures of the orthosomycin antibiotics avilamycin and evernimicin in complex with the bacterial 70S
ribosome. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 113(27): 7527-7532.
16. Melnikov SV, Söll D, Steitz TA*, Polikanov YS*. (2016) Insights into RNA binding by the anticancer drug
cisplatin from the crystal structure of cisplatin-modified ribosome. Nucleic Acids Research 44(10): 4978-
4987.
17. Polikanov YS and Moore PB*. (2015) Acoustic vibrations contribute to the diffuse scatter produced by
ribosome crystals. Acta Crystallographica Section D 71(Pt 10): 2021-2031.
18. Polikanov YS, Starosta AL, Juette MF, Altman RB, Terry DS, Lu W, Burnett BJ, Dinos G, Reynolds K,
Blanchard SC*, Steitz TA*, and Wilson DN*. (2015) Distinct tRNA accommodation intermediates observed
on the ribosome with the antibiotics Hygromycin A and A201A. Molecular Cell 58(5): 832-844.
19. Polikanov YS, Melnikov SV, Söll D*, and Steitz TA*. (2015) Structural insights into the role of rRNA
modifications in protein synthesis and ribosome assembly. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 22(4):
342-344.
20. Polikanov YS, Osterman IA, Szal T, Tashlitsky VN, Serebryakova MV, Kusochek P, Bulkley D,
Malanicheva IA, Efimenko TA, Efremenkova OV, Konevega AL, Shaw KJ, Bogdanov AA, Rodnina MV,
Dontsova OA, Mankin AS*, Steitz TA*, and Sergiev PV*. (2014) Amicoumacin A inhibits translation by
stabilizing mRNA interaction with the ribosome. Molecular Cell 56(4): 531-540.

Yury S. Polikanov, PhD CV Page 3 of 6

 CURRICULUM VITAE
21. Polikanov YS, Szal T, Jiang F, Gupta P, Matsuda R, Shiozuka M, Steitz TA*, Vázquez-Laslop N*, and
Mankin AS*. (2014) Negamycin interferes with decoding and translocation by simultaneous interaction with
rRNA and tRNA. Molecular Cell 56(4): 541-550.
22. Polikanov YS, Steitz TA*, and Innis CA*. (2014) A proton wire to couple aminoacyl-tRNA accommodation
and peptide-bond formation on the ribosome. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 21(9): 787-793.
Selected for the cover image.
23. Bulkley D, Brandi L, Polikanov YS, Fabbretti A, O’Connor M, Gualerzi CO*, and Steitz TA*. (2014) The
antibiotics dityromycin and GE82832 bind protein S12 and block EF-G-catalyzed translocation. Cell Reports
S2211-1247(13): 00782-1.
24. Polikanov YS, Blaha GM, and Steitz TA*. (2012) How hibernation factors RMF, HPF, and YfiA turn off
protein synthesis. Science 336(6083): 915-918.
25. Blaha GM, Polikanov YS, and Steitz TA*. (2012) Elements of ribosomal drug resistance and specificity.
Current Opinion in Structural Biology 22(6): 750-758. Equal contribution.
26. Nizovtseva EV, Clauvelin N, Todolli S, Polikanov YS, Kulaeva OI, Wengrzynek S, Olson WK*, and
Studitsky VM*. (2017) Nucleosome-free DNA regions differentially affect distant communication in
chromatin. Nucleic Acids Research 45(6): 3059-3067.
27. Kulaeva OI, Nizovtseva EV, Polikanov YS, Ulianov SV, and Studitsky VM*. (2012) Distant activation of
transcription: mechanisms of enhancer action. Molecular and Cellular Biology 32(24): 4892-4897.
28. Kulaeva OI, Zheng G, Polikanov YS, Colasanti AV, Clauvelin N, Mukhopadhyay S, Sengupta AM, Studitsky
VM*, and Olson WK*. (2011) Internucleosomal interactions mediated by histone tails allow distant
communication in chromatin. Journal of Biological Chemistry 287(24): 20248-20257.
29. Polikanov YS and Studitsky VM*. (2009) Analysis of distant communication on defined chromatin templates
in vitro. Methods in Molecular Biology 543: 563-576.
30. Polikanov YS, Bondarenko VA, Tchernajenko V, Jiang YI, Lutter LC, Vologodskii A*, and Studitsky VM*.
(2007) Probability of the site juxtaposition determines the rate of protein-mediated DNA looping. Biophysical
Journal 93(8): 2726-2731.
31. Polikanov YS, Rubtsov MA, and Studitsky VM*. (2007) Biochemical analysis of enhancer-promoter
communication in chromatin. Methods 41(3): 250-258.
32. Rubtsov MA, Polikanov YS, Bondarenko VA, Wang YH*, and Studitsky VM*. (2006) Chromatin structure
can strongly facilitate enhancer action over a distance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
USA 103(47): 17690-17695. Equal contribution.
33. Bondarenko VA, Steele LM, Ujvari A, Gaykalova DA, Kulaeva OI, Polikanov YS, Luse DS*, and Studitsky
VM*. (2006) Nucleosomes can form a polar barrier to transcript elongation by RNA polymerase II. Molecular
Cell 24(3): 469-479.

Yury S. Polikanov, PhD CV Page 4 of 6

 CURRICULUM VITAE
EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH SUPPORT:
Total Cost
Funding Agency Title of Proposal Role Status Funding Period
Amount
University of
Readthrough compounds bound to the 70S ribosome. PI $43,146 Completed 03/2016-12/2016
Dundee
Macrolide
Unraveling the site and mode of binding of macrolide
Pharmaceuticals, PI $70,878 Completed 04/2016-02/2017
compounds in the bacterial ribosome.
LLC
Unraveling the site and mode of binding of
Nosopharm SAS PI $27,823 Completed 02/2017-03/2017
odilorhabins compounds in the bacterial ribosome.
Unraveling the site and mode of binding of amicetin
Curza Global, LLC PI $43,731 Completed 11/2017-02/2018
derivative compounds in the bacterial ribosome.
NIH/NIAID Structural basis of Erm-mediated macrolide Co- $219,863 of
Funded 01/2018-12/2019
R21-AI137584 resistance. PI $439,725

Macrolide
Unraveling the site and mode of binding of macrolide
Pharmaceuticals, PI $40,141 Completed 06/2018-09/2018
compounds in the bacterial ribosome.
LLC
NIH/NIGMS Molecular mechanisms of action of ribosome-targeting
PI $1,258,124 Funded 04/2019-03/2024
R01 antibiotics.

Molecular mechanisms of translation termination in

NSF/MCB PI $700,000 Funded 06/2019-05/2023
bacteria.

INVITED ORAL PRESENTATIONS:

2019 Future Biotech Winter Retreat 2019 (St. Petersburg, Russia);
2018 Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN); Ribosomes and Translation Conference (St. Petersburg, Russia); Touro
University (Las Vegas, NV); Lomonosov Moscow State University (Moscow, Russia); Belozersky
Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology (Moscow, Russia);
2017 Rustbelt RNA Meeting (Indianapolis, IN); Ribosome & Antibiotics Conference (Tartu, Estonia);
Russian-American Scientific Association, Northwestern University, keynote speaker (Chicago, IL);
International Conference on Cryo-Electron Microscopy at Lomonosov Moscow State University
(Moscow, Russia); Lake Forest College (Lake Forest, IL);
2016 Lomonosov Moscow State University (Moscow, Russia); Bach Institute of Biochemistry (Moscow,
Russia); Ribosome Structure and Function 2016 Conference (Strasbourg, France); Macrolide
Pharmaceuticals LLC (Cambridge, MA); Petersburg Institute of Nuclear Physics (Gatchina, Russia);
Future Biotech (Moscow, Russia); Northwestern University (Evanston, IL); Chicago RNA Club at
University of Chicago (Chicago, IL);
2015 Revolutionary Medicines LLC (San Francisco, CA); Melinta Pharmaceuticals LLC (New Haven,
CT); University of Strasburg and Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology
(Strasbourg, France); Petersburg Institute of Nuclear Physics (Gatchina, Russia).

SERVICE TO THE UNIVERSITY, PROFESSION, AND PUBLIC:

Reviewer of manuscripts for the scientific journals: Nature Communications; Molecular Cell; EMBO Reports;
Nucleic Acids Research; RNA Journal; Scientific Reports; Journal of Molecular Biology; Cell Chemical
Biology; Cell Structure; Acta Crystallographica; Biochimie; Amino Acids; Crystals; Current
Microbiology.

Yury S. Polikanov, PhD CV Page 5 of 6

 CURRICULUM VITAE
Reviewer of grant proposals: UIC CCTS Pilot Grant Program (USA); Agence Nationale De La Recherche
(France); Croatian Science Foundation (Croatia); ETH Zurich Research Commission (Switzerland); US-
Israel Binational Science Foundation (USA/Israel).
Teaching and training of students: Undergraduate courses: "Introductory Biochemistry" (BIOS-352);
"Independent Study in Molecular Biology" (BIOS-391); “Independent Research in Molecular Biology”
(BIOS-399). Graduate courses: "Methods in Molecular Biology" (BIOS-524), "Concepts in Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology" (BIOS-594), "MCDB Research Seminar" (BIOS-592).
Dissertation committee member for 10 graduate students (2015-Present).
Faculty fellow to six UIC Honors College students (2015-Present).
Scientific advisor and mentor to 7 undergraduate students (two of which are recepients of the LASURI award),
4 graduate students, 3 high-school interns, and 2 postdoctoral fellows (2015-Present).

Yury S. Polikanov, PhD CV Page 6 of 6