Mohammad Halim

Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Office: Science Building Room 422

Lab: Science Building Room 371

370 Paulding Ave NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144

Email: mhalim1@kennesaw.edu

Phone: +1-470-578-6759 

 

Research Group: halimlabs.org

 

Professional Affiliations:

Assistant Professor, Kennesaw State University, Georgia, USA | 2021-

Assistant Professor, University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, USA | 2019-2021

Post-Doctoral Associate, Carnegie Mellon University, USA | 2018-2019

Post-Doctoral Associate, Atomic Energy Commission, France | 2017-2018 

Adjunct Researcher, The Red-Green Research Centre, Bangladesh | 2013-2021 

 

Education:

PhD in Bioanalytical/Biophysical Chemistry | 2017
CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) and Université Lyon 1, France

MSc in Computational Chemistry | 2012
Memorial University, St. John’s, NL, Canada

MSc in Analytical Chemistry | 2003
Jahangirnagar University,  Bangladesh

BSc (Honors) Major in Chemistry, Minor in Physics and Mathematics | 2001
Jahangirnagar University,  Bangladesh

 

Research:

Bioanalytical Chemistry: protein mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography, solid phase peptide synthesis and purification, peptide and small molecules therapeutics for SARS-CoV-2, Dengue and Zika viruses; FRET-based biochemical assays; Alzheimer diseases; and anti-cancer therapeutics.

Environmental and Forensic Chemistry: Indentification of pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and, and other enviromental pollutants and their interactions with skin melanin, plasma protein, eye proteins, estrogen and androgen receptors; Infrared and Raman spectroscopic characterization of forensic evidences such as hair, nail, hair gels and hair dyes.

Green Chemistry: Thermochemical and mechanochemical systhesis of deep eutectic solvents (DES) and thererapeutic deep eutectic solvents (THDES); Characterization of DES and THDES by mass spectrometry, spectroscopy (IR and Raman), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). 

Computational and Statistical Chemistry: Molecular dynamics for protein-drug, protein-peptide, drug-surfactants; virtual screening and molecular docking; protein homology modelling; peptide design and modelling; bioinformatics; quantum chemical and molecular mechanics simulaitons; principle component analysis (PCA) and quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR).

 

Current Group Members:

Selected Publications: Full Publications (Google Scholar)

(1) Dominguez-Medina, S.; Fostner, S.; Defoort, M.; Sansa, M.; Stark, A. K.; Halim, M. A.; Vernhes, E.; Gely, M.; Jourdan, G.; Alava, T.; Boulanger, P., Masselon, C.; Hentz, S. ‘Neutral Mass Spectrometry of Virus Capsid above 100 MDa with Nanomechnical Resonators’. Science, 2018, 362, 918-922. Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science, USA.
Featured in Chemistry World: Mass spec goes massive weighing huge virus particles https://bit.ly/2PacJ0G
 
(2) *Pansieri, J.; *Halim, M. A.; Vendrely, C.; Dumoulin, M.; Moulin, M.; Chierici, S.; Denti, S.; Dagany,  X.; Dugourd, P. ; Marquette, C.; Antoine, R.; Forge, V. “Mass and charge distributions of entire amyloid fibers involved in neurodegenerative diseases : Mapping polymorphism effects and population heterogeneity.” Chemical Science. 2018, 9, 2791-2796.  DOI:10.1039/C7SC04542E, Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry, UK. *Co-first author.
Featured in Chemical & Engineering News (C&CN): Charge detection mass spectrometry measures molecular structures too big for regular mass spec, https://bit.ly/2QAtYwo
 
(3) Halim, M. A.; Girod, M.; MacAleese, L.; Lemoine, J.; Antoine, R.; Dugourd, P. “Combined Infrared Multiphoton Dissociation with Ultraviolet Photodissociation for Ubiquitin Characterization.” Journal of American Society for Mass Spectrometry 2016, 27, 1435-1442. doi:10.1007/s13361-016-1419-8 (Cover Article) Publisher: American Society for Mass Spectrometry, USA
 
(4) Halim, M. A.; Girod, M.; MacAleese, L.; Lemoine, J.; Antoine, R.; Dugourd, P. “Ultraviolet, Infrared and High-Low Energy Photodissociation of Post-Translationally Modified Peptides.” Journal of American Society for Mass Spectrometry, 2018, 29, 270–283. DOI: 10.1007/s13361-017-1794-9. Publisher: American Society for Mass Spectrometry, USA
 
(5) Halim, M. A.; Girod, M.; MacAleese, L.; Lemoine, J.; Antoine, R.; Dugourd, P. “213 nm Ultraviolet Photodissociation on Peptide Anions: Radical-Directed Fragmentation Patterns.” Journal of American Society for Mass Spectrometry 2016, 27, 474-486. DOI: 10.1007/s13361-015-1297-5. Publisher: American Society for Mass Spectrometry, USA
 
(6) Halim, M. A.; Clavier, F.; Dagany, X.; Kerleroux, M.; Dugourd, P.; Dunbar, R.; Antoine, R. “Fragmentation of Single Megadalton Polymer Ions in a Gated Electrostatic Ion Trap.  The Added Value of Statistical Analysis of Individual Events.” Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 2018, 20, 11959-11966 DOI:10.1039/C8CP00404H, Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry, UK
 
(7) Halim, M. A.; Bertorelle, F.; Doussineau, T.; and Antoine, R. ‘Direct Molecular Weight Distribution of Calf-Thymus DNAs and Fragmentation under Ultrasonic and Low-Energy IR Irradiations. A Charge Detection Mass Spectrometry Investigation.’ Rapid Communication in Mass Spectrometry, 2019, 33 (S1), 35-39. https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.8204. Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, USA
 
(8) Ali, M. A.; Rahman, M. S.; Roy, R.; Gambill, P.; Raynie, D. E.; Halim, M. A. Structure Elucidation of Menthol-Based Deep Eutectic Solvent Using Experimental and Computational Techniques. Journal of  Physical Chemistry A 2021, 125 (12), 2402–2412. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpca.0c10735 Publisher: American Chemical Society, USA.

(9) Chowdhury, S. M.; Talukder, S. A.; Khan, A. M.; Afrin, N.; Ali, M. A.; Islam, R.; Parves, R.; Mamun, A. A.; Sufian, M. A.; Hossain, M. N.; Hossain, M. A.; Halim, M. A. ‘Antiviral Peptides as Promising Therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2’ Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2020, 124, 9785-9792. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c05621 Publisher: American Chemical Society, USA.

(10) Saha, M.; Rahman, M. S; Hossain, M. N.; Raynie, D. E.; Halim, M. A.; ‘Molecular and Spectroscopic Insights of a Choline Chloride Based Therapeutic Deep Eutectic Solvent’ The Journal of Physical Chemistry A 2020, 124, 4690–4699. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.0c00851 Publisher: American Chemical Society, USA

 

Selected Student Presentations: (underlined mentees are presenting author)

Choudhary, A*; Halim, M. A.  Targeting the Main Protease of SARS-CoV-2 with Temporin Peptides from Lithobates Frog Skin: A Molecular Modelling Based Study, 12th Annual Southeast Enzyme Conference, April 23, 2022. Georgia State University, GA, USA. (Poster Presentation). [*Senior student] 
​
Reinhardt, A.*; Halim, M. A. The Inhibition of Acetylcholinesterase by Cone Snail Venom Peptides and their use in the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease, Spring Symposium of Student Scholars, April 19, 2022. Kennesaw State University, GA, USA. (Poster Presentation). [*Junior student] 

Wasti, I.*; Halim, M. A. ACE2-Based and Proline-rich Peptides Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Spike Receptor-Binding Domain with ACE2, Spring Symposium of Student Scholars, April 19, 2022. Kennesaw State University, GA, USA. (Poster Presentation). [*First year research scholar] 

Smith, G.*; Halim, M. A. Spectroscopic, Liquid Charmatography, and Mass Spectrometry Characterization of Hair Cosmetic Products as a Forensic Evidence, Spring Symposium of Student Scholars, April 19, 2022. Kennesaw State University, GA, USA. (Poster Presentation). [*Sophomore student] 

Frais, M.*; Halim, M. A. Synthesis and Characterization of Slow-Release Urea Fertilizer, Spring Symposium of Student Scholars, April 19, 2022. Kennesaw State University, GA, USA. (Poster Presentation). [*Freshman student] 

Valter-Franco, A.*; Halim, M. A. Mechanochemical Synthesis of Aspirin, Spring Symposium of Student Scholars, April 19, 2022. Kennesaw State University, GA, USA. (Poster Presentation). [*Sophomore student] 

Moore, T.*; Halim, M. A. Designing Potent Antiviral Inhibitors Targeting the Spike Protein and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme-2, Spring Symposium of Student Scholars, April 19, 2022. Kennesaw State University, GA, USA. (Poster Presentation). [*First year research scholar] 
 
Behzad, M.*; Halim, M. A. Anticancer Peptide Therapeutics Targeting the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor, Spring Symposium of Student Scholars, April 19, 2022. Kennesaw State University, GA, USA. (Poster Presentation). [*Freshman student] 

Koether, T.*; Halim, M. A. Menthol-Thymol Based Deep Eutectic Solvents and Its Application for Hydrophobic Drug Solubility, Spring Symposium of Student Scholars, April 19, 2022. Kennesaw State University, GA, USA. (Poster Presentation). [*Sophomore student] 

Hashmi, M. A*; Halim, M. A.  Scorpion Venom Peptides to Inhibit Acetylcholinesterase for Alzheimer’s Disease, Spring Symposium of Student Scholars, April 19, 2022. Kennesaw State University, GA, USA. (Poster Presentation). [*Junior student] 

Celedon, H.*; Halim, M. A. Bee Venom Peptides Targeting the Main Protease of SARS-CoV-2, Spring Symposium of Student Scholars, April 19, 2022. Kennesaw State University, GA, USA. (Poster Presentation). [*Sophomore student] 

Kurniawan, G.*; Halim, M. A. Peptide Therapeutics for Covid-19: Targeting the Protein-Protein Interactions of RBD-ACE2, Spring Symposium of Student Scholars, April 19, 2022. Kennesaw State University, GA, USA. (Poster Presentation). [*First year research scholar]

Lewit, N.*; Halim, M. A. Menthol Based Deep Eutectic Solvents to enhance the Chromatographic Separation of Hydrophobic Temporin-L Peptide, Spring Symposium of Student Scholars, April 19, 2022. Kennesaw State University, GA, USA. (Poster Presentation). [*First year research scholar] 

Stewart, J.*; Halim, M. A. ‘Small peptide inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3-chymotripsyn-like protease’ ;American Chemical Society Southeast Regional Meeting (SERMACS), November 10-13, 2021, Birmingham, AL, USA. (Oral Presentation). [Graduate Student]