Nacyra Assad-Garcia 

Staff Scientist

Nacyra Assad-Garcia is a Staff Scientist who joined the JCVI in 2002 from Celera. For the past 15 years she has been a microbiologist specializing in Mycoplasma genomics. She is an integral member of the synthetic biology team with expertise in manipulating and transplanting mycoplasma genomes (up to 1.1 Mb). This technology enables the changing of one mycoplasma species into another and is essential for the creation of synthetic and minimized cells. These techniques will be useful to understand basic cellular processes. She will drive the wet lab work on a new project attempting to create the first vaccine for Africa Swine Fever Virus, the virus that causes porcine hemorrhagic fever primarily affecting pig-holders in Africa.

Nacyra received her BSc degree from the National Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, Mexico. After graduating, Nacyra worked for CINVESTAV-IPN Unidad Irapuato in Irapuato, Mexico. She was then recruited to Life Technologies, Gaithersburg, MD and subsequently to Celera, Rockville, MD.

Awards

  • Dexter Patent Award: "Regeneration of Plants using a new plant hormone". Life Technologies, Inc. AgBiotech Group. 1999.
  • Monthly Recognition Award for "Continued Achievement". CINVESTAV-IPN, Inc.1994.

Granted Patents

Installation of genomes or partial genomes into cells or cell-like systems

Patent number: 9434974

Abstract: A method is provided for introducing a genome into a cell or cell-like system. The introduced genome may occur in nature, be manmade with or without automation, or may be a hybrid of naturally occurring and manmade materials. The genome is obtained outside of a cell with minimal damage. Materials such as a protein, RNAs, polycations, nucleoid condensation proteins, or gene translation systems may accompany the genome. The genome is installed into a naturally occurring cell or into a manmade cell-like system. A cell-like system or synthetic cell resulting from the practice of the provided method may be designed and used to yield gene-expression products, such as desired proteins. By enabling the synthesis of cells or cell-like systems comprising a wide variety of genomes, accompanying materials and membrane types, the provided method makes possible a broader field of experimentation and bioengineering than has been available using prior art methods.

Type: Grant

Filed: December 22, 2006

Date of Patent: September 6, 2016

Assignee: Synthetic Genomics, Inc.

Inventors: John I. Glass, Lei Young, Carole Lartigue, Nacyra Assad-Garcia, Hamilton O. Smith, Clyde A. Hutchison, J. Craig Venter

 

Auxinic analogues of indole-3-acetic acid

Patent number: 6815205

Abstract: The present invention provides compounds and compositions capable of stimulating plant growth, regeneration of plant cells and tissues, and transformation of plant cells and tissues, comprising mono- and multi-substituted auxinic analogues of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) comprising substituent groups such as halo-, alkyl-, alkoxy-, acyl-, acylamido- and acyloxy-groups. The invention relates to a method of using such mono- and multi-substituted auxinic analogues of IAA to affect growth, regeneration or transformation in monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants, as well as in transgenic plant tissues. The invention also contemplates the use of these auxinic IAA analogues in the presence of other plant growth regulators, such as cytokinin, etc., to enhance plant growth.

Type: Grant

Filed: February 6, 2001

Date of Patent: November 9, 2004

Assignee: Invitrogen Corporation

Inventors: Jhy-Jhu Lin, Jianqing Lan, Nacyra Assad-Garcia

 

Regeneration of both plant tissues and transgenic plant tissues using a new plant hormone, 5-bromoindole-3-acetic acid

Patent number: 6610544

Abstract: The present invention describes the use of 5-bromoindole-3-acetic acid (5-B-IAA) as an auxin affecting plant cell growth. The invention relates to the use of 5-B-IAA compositions to affect growth in monocotyledonous as well as in dicotyledonous plants. The invention also describes the use of 5-B-IAA in plant growth affecting compositions for the regeneration of both plant tissues and transgenic plant tissues. Further, the invention provides plant growth affecting compositions comprising 5-B-IAA alone or in a mixture comprising one or more additional plant growth regulators, such as cytokinin, etc.

Type: Grant

Filed: August 7, 2001

Date of Patent: August 26, 2003

Assignee: Invitrogen Corp National

Inventors: Jhy-Jhu Lin, Jianqing Lan, Nacyra Assad-Garcia

 

Regeneration of both plant tissues and transgenic plant tissues using a new plant hormone, 5-bromoindole-3-acetic acid

Patent number: 5994135

Abstract: The present invention describes the use of 5-bromoindole-3-acetic acid (5-B-IAA) as an auxin affecting plant cell growth. The invention relates to the use of 5-B-IAA compositions to affect growth in monocotyledonous as well as in dicotyledonous plants. The invention also describes the use of 5-B-IAA in plant growth affecting compositions for the regeneration of both plant tissues and transgenic plant tissues. Further, the invention provides plant growth affecting compositions comprising 5-B-IAA alone or in a mixture comprising one or more additional plant growth regulators, such as cytokinin, etc.

Type: Grant

Filed: May 22, 1997

Date of Patent: November 30, 1999

Assignee: Life Technologies, Inc.

Inventors: Jhy-Jhu Lin, Jianqing Lan, Nacyra Assad-Garcia

Research Priorities

  • Make available methods and technics developed for Mycoplasmas and publications.
  • Establishing new technologies for Africa Swine Fever.

Publications

PLoS pathogens. 2024-05-23; 20.5: e1011669.
SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 modulates lung inflammation and clinical disease progression
McGrath ME, Xue Y, Taylor L, Dillen C, Ardanuy J, Gonzalez-Juarbe N, Baracco L, Kim R, Hart R, Assad-Garcia N, Vashee S, Frieman MB
PMID: 38781259
ACS synthetic biology. 2024-04-19; 13.4: 1128-1141.
Minimal Bacterial Cell JCVI-syn3B as a Chassis to Investigate Interactions between Bacteria and Mammalian Cells
Bittencourt DMC, Brown DM, Assad-Garcia N, Romero MR, Sun L, Palhares de Melo LAM, Freire M, Glass JI
PMID: 38507598
Viruses. 2022-09-13; 14.9:
Co-Deletion of A238L and EP402R Genes from a Genotype IX African Swine Fever Virus Results in Partial Attenuation and Protection in Swine
Abkallo HM, Hemmink JD, Oduor B, Khazalwa EM, Svitek N, Assad-Garcia N, Khayumbi J, Fuchs W, Vashee S, Steinaa L
PMID: 36146830
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2022-09-13; 119.37: e2204717119.
SARS-CoV-2 variant spike and accessory gene mutations alter pathogenesis
McGrath ME, Xue Y, Dillen C, Oldfield L, Assad-Garcia N, Zaveri J, Singh N, Baracco L, Taylor LJ, Vashee S, Frieman MB
PMID: 36040867
Applied and environmental microbiology. 2022-02-08; 88.3: e0148621.
Cross-Genus "Boot-Up" of Synthetic Bacteriophage in Staphylococcus aureus by Using a New and Efficient DNA Transformation Method
Assad-Garcia N, D'Souza R, Buzzeo R, Tripathi A, Oldfield LM, Vashee S, Fouts DE
PMID: 34818102
Frontiers in genetics. 2021-08-30; 12.733674.
Rapid CRISPR/Cas9 Editing of Genotype IX African Swine Fever Virus Circulating in Eastern and Central Africa
Abkallo HM, Svitek N, Oduor B, Awino E, Henson SP, Oyola SO, Mwalimu S, Assad-Garcia N, Fuchs W, Vashee S, Steinaa L
PMID: 34527025
Cell. 2021-04-29; 184.9: 2430-2440.e16.
Genetic requirements for cell division in a genomically minimal cell
Pelletier JF, Sun L, Wise KS, Assad-Garcia N, Karas BJ, Deerinck TJ, Ellisman MH, Mershin A, Gershenfeld N, Chuang RY, Glass JI, Strychalski EA
PMID: 33784496
Journal of bacteriology. 2019-10-01; 201.19:
Polar Effects of Transposon Insertion into a Minimal Bacterial Genome
Hutchison CA, Merryman C, Sun L, Assad-Garcia N, Richter RA, Smith HO, Glass JI
PMID: 31262838
Scientific reports. 2016-08-04; 6.30714.
One step engineering of the small-subunit ribosomal RNA using CRISPR/Cas9
Kannan K, Tsvetanova B, Chuang RY, Noskov VN, Assad-Garcia N, Ma L, Hutchison Iii CA, Smith HO, Glass JI, Merryman C, Venter JC, Gibson DG
PMID: 27489041
Science (New York, N.Y.). 2016-03-25; 351.6280: aad6253.
Design and synthesis of a minimal bacterial genome
Hutchison CA, Chuang RY, Noskov VN, Assad-Garcia N, Deerinck TJ, Ellisman MH, Gill J, Kannan K, Karas BJ, Ma L, Pelletier JF, Qi ZQ, Richter RA, Strychalski EA, Sun L, Suzuki Y, Tsvetanova B, Wise KS, Smith HO, Glass JI, Merryman C, Gibson DG, Venter JC
PMID: 27013737
Genome research. 2015-03-01; 25.3: 435-44.
Bacterial genome reduction using the progressive clustering of deletions via yeast sexual cycling
Suzuki Y, Assad-Garcia N, Kostylev M, Noskov VN, Wise KS, Karas BJ, Stam J, Montague MG, Hanly TJ, Enriquez NJ, Ramon A, Goldgof GM, Richter RA, Vashee S, Chuang RY, Winzeler EA, Hutchison CA, Gibson DG, Smith HO, Glass JI, Venter JC
PMID: 25654978
Science (New York, N.Y.). 2014-02-07; 343.6171: 656-661.
A structurally distinct human mycoplasma protein that generically blocks antigen-antibody union
Grover RK, Zhu X, Nieusma T, Jones T, Boreo I, Boero I, MacLeod AS, Mark A, Niessen S, Kim HJ, Kong L, Assad-Garcia N, Kwon K, Chesi M, Smider VV, Salomon DR, Jelinek DF, Kyle RA, Pyles RB, Glass JI, Ward AB, Wilson IA, Lerner RA
PMID: 24503852
Cell. 2012-07-20; 150.2: 389-401.
A whole-cell computational model predicts phenotype from genotype
Karr JR, Sanghvi JC, Macklin DN, Gutschow MV, Jacobs JM, Bolival B, Assad-Garcia N, Glass JI, Covert MW
PMID: 22817898
Applied and environmental microbiology. 2010-10-01; 76.20: 6951-4.
Enhancement of targeted homologous recombination in Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri by inclusion of heterologous recA
Allam AB, Reyes L, Assad-Garcia N, Glass JI, Brown MB
PMID: 20802067
Applied and environmental microbiology. 2010-08-01; 76.15: 5297-9.
Targeted chromosomal knockouts in Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Krishnakumar R, Assad-Garcia N, Benders GA, Phan Q, Montague MG, Glass JI
PMID: 20543037
Science (New York, N.Y.). 2010-07-02; 329.5987: 52-6.
Creation of a bacterial cell controlled by a chemically synthesized genome
Gibson DG, Glass JI, Lartigue C, Noskov VN, Chuang RY, Algire MA, Benders GA, Montague MG, Ma L, Moodie MM, Merryman C, Vashee S, Krishnakumar R, Assad-Garcia N, Andrews-Pfannkoch C, Denisova EA, Young L, Qi ZQ, Segall-Shapiro TH, Calvey CH, Parmar PP, Hutchison CA, Smith HO, Venter JC
PMID: 20488990
Nucleic acids research. 2010-05-01; 38.8: 2558-69.
Cloning whole bacterial genomes in yeast
Benders GA, Noskov VN, Denisova EA, Lartigue C, Gibson DG, Assad-Garcia N, Chuang RY, Carrera W, Moodie M, Algire MA, Phan Q, Alperovich N, Vashee S, Merryman C, Venter JC, Smith HO, Glass JI, Hutchison CA
PMID: 20211840
Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy. 2009-10-01; 53.10: 4429-32.
New selectable marker for manipulating the simple genomes of Mycoplasma species
Algire MA, Lartigue C, Thomas DW, Assad-Garcia N, Glass JI, Merryman C
PMID: 19687239
Science (New York, N.Y.). 2009-09-25; 325.5948: 1693-6.
Creating bacterial strains from genomes that have been cloned and engineered in yeast
Lartigue C, Vashee S, Algire MA, Chuang RY, Benders GA, Ma L, Noskov VN, Denisova EA, Gibson DG, Assad-Garcia N, Alperovich N, Thomas DW, Merryman C, Hutchison CA, Smith HO, Venter JC, Glass JI
PMID: 19696314
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2006-01-10; 103.2: 425-30.
Essential genes of a minimal bacterium
Glass JI, Assad-Garcia N, Alperovich N, Yooseph S, Lewis MR, Maruf M, Hutchison CA, Smith HO, Venter JC
PMID: 16407165
Plant molecular biology. 1994-01-01; 24.1: 195-202.
Expression of one of the members of the Arabidopsis chaperonin 60 beta gene family is developmentally regulated and wound-repressible
Zabaleta E, Assad N, Oropeza A, Salerno G, Herrera-Estrella L
PMID: 7906560

Research Priorities

  • Make available methods and technics developed for Mycoplasmas and publications.
  • Establishing new technologies for Africa Swine Fever.