Sergey Savinov

Background

Professor Sergey Savinov has a background in teaching and research at the intersection of physical and life sciences, with a focus on organic chemistry, small-molecule metabolites, chemical biology, and biotechnology. Since joining Rivier University in 2024, he has taught General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry courses, both lectures and labs.

Dr. Savinov received his doctoral training in Organic Chemistry at Yale University, where he first learned about discovery opportunities in uncovering biological processes with chemical tools. As a Postdoctoral Associate, he participated in a multidisciplinary collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania State University to develop a genetically encoded library of over one billion backbone cyclic peptides, enabling identification of molecules with unique properties through genetic selection.

As an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Purdue University, he taught undergraduate and graduate level courses in Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, directed an independent research laboratory, mentored associates, and served as the principal investigator on intramural and extramural grants, including federal grants.

Subsequently, as a Senior Research Scientist at Purdue University’s Center for Cancer Research and Extension Associate Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, he provided computational support to academic researchers, including quantum mechanics calculations, homology modeling, docking, cheminformatics, and molecular dynamics simulations. Dr. Savinov also managed the Plant Cell Culture Library, which was screened for medicinally useful properties by an undergraduate research team under his mentorship. In addition to these responsibilities, he has taught and co-taught both undergraduate and graduate Chemistry and Biochemistry courses at the Biochemistry Department of UMass–Amherst and Chemistry Department of Tufts University.

Most recently, he worked at a start-up biotechnology company focused on sustainable cellular agriculture, where he led a multidisciplinary team of associates as a Senior Research Scientist in developing in vitro cotton fiber technology and nutraceutical products from cultured plant cells.

Degrees

• Ph.D., Chemistry, Yale University
• B.S., Chemistry, Pittsburg State University

Specialties

• Organic Chemistry
• Chemical Biology
• Peptides
• Plant and Microbial Metabolites
• Cheminformatics
• Biotechnology

Courses Taught

• CHEM 102 Principles of Chemistry
• CHEM 104 General Chemistry I
• CHEM 104L General Chemistry I Laboratory
• CHEM 105 General Chemistry II
• CHEM 105L General Chemistry II Laboratory
• CHEM 201 Organic Chemistry I
• CHEM 201L Organic Chemistry I Laboratory
• CHEM 202 Organic Chemistry II
• CHEM 202L Organic Chemistry II Laboratory

Recent Publications, Grants and Proceedings

1. Elfawal MA, Goetz E, Kim Y, Chen P, Savinov SN, Barasa L, Thompson PR, Aroian RV. High-Throughput Screening of More Than 30,000 Compounds for Anthelmintics against Gastrointestinal Nematode Parasites. ACS Infect Dis. 2025, 11, 104-120.
2. Gao Z, Zheng J, Wu X, Savinov S, Zhao C, Xiao H. Heat shock cognate 70 protein is a novel target of nobiletin and its colonic metabolites in inhibiting colon carcinogenesis. Food Funct. 2024, 15, 10447-10458
3. Cruz KG, Hill Eron M, Makhaik S, Savinov S, Hardy JA. A Non-Active-Site Inhibitor with Selectivity for Zika Virus NS2B-NS3 Protease. ACS Infect Dis. 2024, 10, 412-425
4. Lynch A, Pearson P, Savinov SN, Li AY, Rich SM. Lactate Dehydrogenase Inhibitors Suppress Borrelia burgdorferi Growth In Vitro. Pathogens. 2023, 12, 962
5. Zhang Y, Kao PL, Rampal A, Mafu S, Savinov S, Ma LJ. High-Throughput Screening Assays to Identify Plant Natural Products with Antifungal Properties Against Fusarium oxysporum. Methods Mol Biol. 2022, 2391, 171-184
6. Rasapalli S., Sammeta V.R., Murphy Z.F., Golen J.A., Agama K., Pommier Y., Savinov S.N. Design and synthesis of C-aryl angular luotonins via a one-pot aza-Nazarov-Friedlander sequence and their Topo-I inhibition studies along with C-aryl vasicinones and luotonins. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2021 41, 127998
7. Niu Ch., Zhao Y., Bobst C., Savinov S.N., Kaltashov I. Identification of protein recognition elements within heparin chains using enzymatic foot-printing in solution and on-line SEC/MS. Anal Chem. 2020, 92, 7565-7573
8. Marcinko T.M., Liang C., Savinov S.N., Chen J, Vachet RW. Structural Heterogeneity in the Preamyloid Oligomers of β-2-Microglobulin. J Mol Biol. 2020, 432, 396-409