Andrew Gifford

Research Interests

• Radiochemical labeling of biomolecules, especially those that can be used to investigate biological and metabolic processes relevant to DOE goals in systems biology.
• IInvestigating new approaches to simplifying radiochemical labeling of organic molecules, e.g. by using novel chemo-enzymatic methods for the radiolabeling of complex multifunctionalized biomolecules.
• Autoradiographic and scintographic imaging of the movement and biodistribution of radiolabeled tracers, e.g. imaging transport of labeled sugars and signaling molecules in plants.
• Radioligand binding assays and PET receptor occupancy studies.

Selected Publications

• Best M., Gifford A.N., Kim S.W., Babst B., Piel M., Rosch F. and Fowler J.S.
  Rapid radiosynthesis of [11C] and [14C]azelaic, suberic and sebacic acids for in vivo mechanistic studies of systemic acquired resistance in plants.
  J. Label. Compd. Radiopharm., 55:39-43 (2012).
• Gifford A.N., Bennett C.V., and Fowler J.S.
  Radiosynthesis of the Fluorinated Sucrose Analogue, 1’-[18F]Fluoro-1’-deoxysucrose.
  J. Label. Compd. Radiopharm., (2012) In press
• Gifford A.N., Kuschel S., Shea C., and Fowler J.S.
  Polymer-supported organotin reagent for prosthetic group labeling of biological macromolecules with radioiodine.
  Bioconjugate Chemistry, 22(3):39-43 (2011). [Epub ahead of print]  PubMed
• Gifford A.N., Espaillat M.P. and Gatley S.J.
  Biodistribution of radiolabeled ethanol in rodents.
  Drug Metab. Dispos., 36(9):1853-1858 (2008).  PubMed
• Tovar-Salazar A., Dhawan J., Lovejoy A., Liu Q.A. and Gifford A.N.
  Preparation of radioiodinated peptide nucleic acids with high specific activity.
  Anal. Biochem., 360(1):92-98 (2007).  PubMed
• Dhawan J., Deng H., Gatley S.J., Makriyannis A., Akinfeleye T., Bruneus M., DiMaio A.A. and Gifford A.N.
  Evaluation of the in vivo receptor occupancy for the behavioral effects of cannabinoids using a radiolabeled cannabinoid receptor agonist, R-[^125/131I]AM2233.
  Synapse, 60(2):93-101 (2006).  PubMed
• Glaser S.T., Gatley S.J. and Gifford A.N.
  Ex-vivo imaging of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) activity and its inhibition in the mouse brain.
  J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 316(3):1088-1097 (2006).  PubMed
• Deng H., Gifford A.N., Zvonok A.M., Cui G., Li X., Fan P., Deschamps J.R., Flippen-Anderson J.L., Gatley S.J. and Makriyannis A.
  Potent cannabinergic indole analogues as radioiodinatable brain imaging agents for the CB1 cannabinoid receptor.
  J. Med. Chem., 48(20):6386-6392 (2005).  PubMed