Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh

B.S. Edinboro State College (Edinboro University)

Dr. Dixon's research interests lie at the interface of chemistry and biology. He seeks insights into biological processes and macromolecular structure by employing probes at the molecular level. His modus operandi consists primarily of using the tools of chemistry to understand biochemical processes.

Where Is Biochemistry Chemistry Used?

Biochemistry has obvious applications in medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine. In food science, biochemists determine the chemical composition of foods, research ways to develop abundant and inexpensive sources of nutritious foods, develop methods to extract nutrients from waste products, and/or invent ways to prolong the shelf life of food products. In agriculture, biochemists study the interaction of herbicides/insecticides with plants and pests. They examine the structure–activity relationships of compounds, determine their ability to inhibit growth, and evaluate the toxicological effects on surrounding life.

Biochemistry spills over into pharmacology, physiology, microbiology, toxicology, and clinical chemistry. In these areas, a biochemist may investigate the mechanism of a drug action; engage in viral research; conduct research pertaining to organ function; or use chemical concepts, procedures, and techniques to study the diagnosis and therapy of disease and the assessment of health.

Publications Include:

“Assessment of solid phase microfiber extraction fibers for the monitoring of volatile organoarsinicals emitted from a plant-soil system.” Ruppert L, Lin ZQ, Dixon RP, Johnson KA. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2013; 262:1230-6.

“Human Health Risk Assessment of 16 Priority Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Soils of Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA.” Hussar, E., Richards, S., Lin, Z-Q., Dixon, R.P. and K.A. Johnson. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution: Volume 223, Issue 9 (2012), Page 5535-5548.

“Identification of Volatile Arsenical Compounds Produced During Phytoremediation Using a Novel Sampling and GC-MS Technique”. L. Ruppert, Z.-Q. Lin, R. P. Dixon, and K. A. Johnson. Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements: Environmental Protection, Remediation, and Human Health, Zhu, Y., N. Lepp, and R. Naidu, Eds., Tsinghua University Press, Beijing, China: pp 873-4. ISBN 978-7-302-15627-7, 2007

"Synthesis of 1,9-Diamidiniumacridine as a Potential Receptor for Phosphate Ester Recognition" Robert P. Dixon, Jeffery S. Snyder, Lori Bradley, Jamie Linnenbrink. Organic Preparations and Procedures International, 2000, 32, 6.

"Mechanism of Inactivation of Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase by Ng-Ally-L-Arginine" Henery Q. Zhang, Robert P. Dixon, Micheal A. Marletta, Dejan Nikolic, Richard Van Breemen, Richard B. Silverman. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1997, 119, 10888-10902.

"Acceleration of a Phosphate Diester Transesterification Reaction by Bis(alkylguanidinium) Receptors Containing an Appended General Base" Vrej Jubian, Andrea Veronese, Robert P. Dixon, Andrew D. Hamilton. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 1995, 34, 1237-1239

"Enhanced Extraction of Phenobarbital from Serum with a Designed Artificial Receptor" Jane N. Valenta, Robert P. Dixon, Andrew D. Hamilton, Stephen G. Weber. Anal. Chem., 1994, 66, 2397.

"Molecular Recognition and Cleavage of Phosphodiesters by a Simple Family of Guanidinium and 2-Aminoimidazoline Receptors" Robert P. Dixon, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Pittsburgh, 1993.

"Directed Hydrogen Bonding in the Design of New Receptors for Complexation and Catalysis" Robert P. Dixon, Vrej Jubian, Cristina Vicent, Erkang Fan, Frando G. Tellado, Simon C. Hirst, Andrew D. Hamilton. Molecular Recognition: Chemical and Biochemical Problems II. Edited by S. M. Roberts, Special Publication No. 111, The Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, 1992.

"Molecular Recognition and Catalysis. Acceleration of Phosphodiester Cleavage by a Simple Hydrogen-Bonding Receptor." Vrej Jubian, Robert P. Dixon, and Andrew D. Hamilton. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1992, 114, 1120.

"Molecular Recognition: Bis-Acylguanidiniums Provide a Simple Family of Receptors for Phosphodiesters." Robert P. Dixon, Steven J. Geib, and Andrew D. Hamilton. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1992, 114, 365.

"Hydrogen-Bonding Self-Assembly of Multichromophore Structures." Paolo Tecilla, Robert P. Dixon, Gregory Slobodkin, David S. Alavi, David H. Waldeck, and Andrew D. Hamilton. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1990, 112, 9408.