Berger, Dr. John

Hired: 9/2008

Major Interests: Organic chemistry; natural products; drug interaction mechanisms; biological assays; chemical instrumentation.

Research Experiences: Camille and Henry Dreyfus Postdoctoral Fellow in Environmental Chemistry (Columbia University)

Industrial Experience: Academic liaison with Regenesis LLC’s joint business venture with Montclair University to formulate skin care products; Quality Assurance Manager, Xechem, Inc.

Awards: American Society of Pharmacognosy Research Starter Award, D. John Faulkner Travel Award (ASP)

Publications: 13 publications including 2 book chapters, a patent (American, French, and International versions), and 11 journal articles. A selection follows:

“A Sensitive Coupled HPLC/Electrospray Mass Spectrometry Assay for SPM-1 Metallo-b-Lactamase Inhibitors” Assay and Drug Development Technologies 2009, 7,170-179.
“Bakuchiol, an Antibacterial Component of Psoralidium tenuiflorum” Natural Product Research 2009, 23, 781-788.
“Radical Quenching of 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl: a Spectrometric Determination of Antioxidant Behavior” Journal of Chemical Education, 2008, 3, 408-411.
“The Effect of Ultraviolet-Depleted Light on the Flavonol Contents of the Cactus Species Opuntia wilcoxii and Opuntia violacea”. Chemistry and Biodiversity, 2007, 4, 1525-1532.
“B-Hematin Polymerization Inhibition of Plant Extracts” Journal of Undergraduate Chemistry Research, 2006, 3, 125-130.
“Method for isolating trilactones (gingkolides, bilobalide) from leaves and pharmaceutical powders of Ginkgo biloba” PCT Int. Appl. Patent No. WO 2003006040 Date 20030123
“Biodiversity Conservation, Economic Development, and Drug Discovery in Suriname” Biologically Active Natural Products (Cutler, S. and Cutler, H. Eds.) CRC Press, 2000, 39-60.

Theses: “Isolation, Characterization, and Synthesis of Bioactive Natural Products from Rainforest Flora.” (PhD, VPI&SU, 2001)
“Conformational Analysis of Penicillin G in Aqueous Solution via Molecular Modeling and NMR.” (MS, SIT, 1992)