Jonathan Sczepanski

Areas of Expertise

• DNA damage and repair
• DNA methylation dynamics
• thymine DNA glycosylase
• chromatin structure
• noncoding RNA
• mirror-image DNA/RNA
• aptamers
• nucleic acid biosensors
• DNA nanotechnology.

Professional Summary

Dr. Sczepanski earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Johns Hopkins University in 2010 and pursued post-doctoral training at The Scripps Research Institute. He was recruited to Texas A&M University as an Assistant Professor in 2015 through a grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2021. His research group combines expertise in nucleic acids chemistry, chemical and molecular biology, and directed evolution to address biologically relevant questions and human health needs. Key focus areas include (1) exploiting the bio-orthogonal nature of oligonucleotide enantiomers for applications in biotechnology and medicine and (2) uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of DNA repair and DNA (de)methylation in biology and disease. Dr. Sczepanski has made seminal contributions in diverse fields, including nucleic acid aptamers, DNA nanotechnology, and DNA repair biology. His research has garnered support from the Welch Foundation, National Science Foundation, and the National Institute of Health. Professor Sczepanski’s teaching interests focus on (bio)organic and nucleic acids chemistry and his teaching efforts have been recognized by the Texas A&M University Montague-Center for Teaching Excellence Award.