Emily Gentry
Assistant Professor
1103 Hahn Hall South
Research Interests
In contrast to the human genome, the human metabolome is far from complete. In fact, currently, most compounds detected in human samples by untargeted mass spectrometry cannot be structurally identified. Our group aims to uncover this “dark matter” of biochemical space using a combination of organic synthesis, mass spectrometry, data science and culturing. Ultimately, we are interested in discovering new small molecules from vertebrates and their microbiomes that are relevant to human health and disease (biomarkers, therapeutics, etc.).
- Keys, A.J.*; Nandwana, N.K.*; Alnasser, E.; Gentry, E.C. Leveraging chemical synthesis to discover metabolites from the gut microbiome. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 2025, Published online.
- Gentry, E. C., Collins, S. L.; Panitchpakdi, M.; Belda-Ferre, P.; Stewart, A. K.; Carrillo-Terrazas, M.; Lu, H.; Zuffa, S.; Yan, T.; Avila-Pacheco, J.; Plichta, D. R.; Aron, A. T.; Wang, M.; Jarmusch, A. K.; Syrkin-Nikolau, M.; Vlamakis, H.; Ananthakrishnan, A. N.; Boland, B.; Hemperly, A.; Vande Casteele, N.; Gonzalez, F. J.; Clish, C. B.; Xavier, R. J.; Chu, H.; Baker, E. S.; Patterson, A. D.; Knight, R.; Siegel, D.; Dorrestein, P. C. Reverse Metabolomics for the Discovery of Chemical Structures from Humans. Nature 2024, 626, 419–426.
- Gentry, E. C.; Rono, L. J.; Hale, M. E.; Matsuura, R.; Knowles, R. R. Enantioselective Synthesis of Pyrroloindolines via Non-Covalent Stabilization of Indole Radical Cations and Applications to the Synthesis of Alkaloid Natural Products. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 3394–3402.
- NIH Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (NIGMS R35 MIRA), 2024–2029
- Virginia Tech Academy of Data Sciences Discovery Fund, 2023-2024
- Pickering Award for Excellence in Teaching, Princeton University, 2014
- B.S. in Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2013
- Ph.D. Chemistry, Princeton University, 2018
- Postdoctoral Researcher, University of California San Diego, 2018-2022