Dr. Arya earned his B.Sc. (chemistry honors program) from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi; and Ph.D. (Bioorganic Chemistry) from Northeastern University, Boston. After spending his postdoctoral years in the labs of Prof. T. C. Bruice (UC Santa Barbara), he joined the faculty at Clemson University. Dr. Arya is a recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER Award(2002) and the ACS Horace S. Isbell Award of the Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry (2007).

Research
Dr. Arya's research activities focus on nucleic acid therapeutics and synthesis of small molecule carbohydrate mimetics. Ongoing projects combine areas of synthetic organic chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacology, and molecular and cell biology. The interdisciplinary nature of these projects allows students to develop a strong basis for future research.

Nucleic acid therapeutics research focuses on the relationship between DNA structure and its reactivity, including the synthetic chemistry and biology of nucleosides, nucleotides and nucleic acids. Research involves construction of modified nucleic acids for use as biochemical tools, diagnostic probes or genetically targeted drugs.

Synthesis of small molecule carbohydrate mimetics involves the ability to turn small molecules into successful DNA/RNA-targeted drugs. Mimetics are useful not only for their potential as antibiotics, but also for their effect in better understanding the role of nucleic acid-ligand interactions, as new reagents for nucleic acid cleavage, as tethers for antisense oligonucleotides and for understanding nucleic acid structure. The kinetics/molecular recognition patterns that give rise to the binding affinities and sequence/conformational preferences exhibited by nucleic acid binding ligands are being investigated. Using the information gained from these studies, new drug analogues are being synthesized to exhibit altered binding properties with desired biological effects.

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Recent Publications

[21] Aminoglycoside Antibiotics: From Chemical Biology to Drug Discovery. Arya, Dev P.; Editor. John Wiley and Sons, 2007. http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-047174302X.html

[20] Charles, Irudayasamy; Xi, Hongjuan; Arya, Dev P. “Sequence-Specific Targeting of RNA with an Oligonucleotide-Neomycin Conjugate.” Bioconjugate Chemistry 2007, 18(1), 160-169. [PDF]

[19] Arya, D.P., Lee, Moses (Ed.) 2006 “Topics in Heterocyclic Chemistry (vol 2): Heterocyclic Antitumor Antibiotics.” Springer, New York.

[18] Willis, Bert; Arya, Dev P. “Recognition of B-DNA by Neomycin-Hoechst 33258 Conjugates.” Biochemistry 2006, 45(34), 10217-10232. [PDF]

[17] Willis, Bert; Arya, Dev P. “Major groove recognition of DNA by carbohydrates.” Current Organic Chemistry 2006, 10(6), 663-673.

[16] Napoli, S., Carbone, GM, Catapano, C., Shaw, N, Arya, D. P.; “Neomycin improves cationic lipid-mediated transfection of DNA in human cells”. Bioorg. Med.Chem.Letters. 2005, 15, 3467–3469.

[15] Xi, H.; and Arya, D.P.; “Recognition of triplex structures by Aminoglycosides”, Current Medicinal Chemistry, Aniticancer agents, an issue dedicated to the late Claude Helene, 2005, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 327-338(12).

[14] Willis, B.; Arya, D. P. “An Expanding view of aminoglycoside-Nucleic Acid Interactions” Adv. Carb. Chem. Biochem. 2006, 60, 251-302.

[13] Charles, I.; Arya, D. P. “Synthesis of Neomycin-DNA/Peptide Nucleic Acid conjugates” J. Carb. Chem. 2005, 24, 145-160.

[12] Arya, D. P. “Aminoglycoside-Nucleic Acid Interactions: The case for neomycin” in Top. Curr. Chem. DNA Binders, Editors-Chaires, JB and Waring, M; 2005, 253, 149-178. [PDF]

[11] Arya, D. P.; Coffee, R. L.; Xue, L. From triplex to B-form duplex stabilization: reversal of target selectivity by aminoglycoside dimers. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 2004, 14, 4643-4646.

[10] Arya, D. P.; Willis, B. Reaching into the major groove of B-DNA: Synthesis and nucleic acid binding of a neomycin-Hoechst 33258 conjugate. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2003, 125, 12398-12399. [PDF]

[9] Arya, D. P.; Xue, L.; Willis, B. Aminoglycoside (Neomycin) Preference Is for A-Form Nucleic Acids, Not Just RNA: Results from a Competition Dialysis Study. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2003, 125, 10148-10149.
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[8] Davis, W. C.; Venzie, J. L.; Willis, B.; Coffee, R. L., Jr.; Arya, D. P. et al. Particle beam glow discharge mass spectrometry: Spectral characteristics of nucleobases. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 2003, 17, 1749-1758.

[7] Arya, D. P.; Xue, L.; Tennant, P. Combining the best in triplex recognition: Synthesis and nucleic acid binding of a BQQ-neomycin conjugate. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2003, 125, 8070-8071. [PDF ]

[6] Arya, D. P.; Micovic, L.; Charles, I.; Coffee, R. L., Jr.; Willis, B. et al. Neomycin Binding to Watson-Hoogsteen (W-H) DNA Triplex Groove: A Model. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2003, 125, 3733-3744.
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[5] Xue, L.; Charles, I.; Arya, D. P. Pyrene-neomycin conjugate: dual recognition of a DNA triple helix. Chemical Communications (Cambridge, United Kingdom) 2002, 70-71. [PDF]

[4] Charles, I.; Xue, L.; Arya, D. P. Synthesis of aminoglycoside-DNA conjugates. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 2002, 12, 1259-1262.

[3] Arya, D. P.; Coffee, R. L., Jr.; Charles, I. Neomycin-Induced Hybrid Triplex Formation. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2001, 123, 11093-11094. [PDF]

[2] Arya, D. P.; Coffee, R. L., Jr.; Willis, B.; Abramovitch, A. I. Aminoglycoside-Nucleic Acid Interactions: Remarkable Stabilization of DNA and RNA Triple Helices by Neomycin. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2001, 123, 5385-5395.

[1] Arya, D. P.; Coffee, R. L. DNA triple helix stabilization by aminoglycoside antibiotics. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 2000, 10, 1897-1899.

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