Dr. Elisa M. Woolridge

Professor of Chemistry

Bio

Dr. Woolridge's primary teaching responsibilities have been to Marist鈥檚 General Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Research Methods course offerings. Dr. Woolridge was promoted to Associate Professor in 2008, and she served as Chair of the Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, & Physics from 2012-2018. Prior to Marist, Dr. Woolridge was a Research Scientist for International Paper Company (1993-2001), where she had the opportunity to develop and optimize process chemistry with particular emphasis on biotechnology applications. Her research aims to understand the mechanism of enzymes responsible for the metabolism of aromatic and carbohydrate polymers, driven by the need to develop enzyme systems for environmentally benign conversion and valorization of lignocellulosics, the world鈥檚 largest renewable resource.

Dr. Woolridge is committed to the teacher-scholar model and thus is grateful for the many opportunities at Marist to mentor undergraduate students and observe their progress, both in the laboratory and beyond, as they embark upon careers of their own.

Education

Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, State University of New York at Stony Brook (1990)
B.S., Biochemistry with Departmental Honors, Millersville University of Pennsylvania (1985)

Additional Professional Experiences

鈥淲hite Biotechnology,鈥� Sabbatical Leave, BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany (2010-2011)

Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland at College Park (1990-1993)

Research Interests / Areas of Focus

Mechanism and application of enzymes for biomass conversion

Selected Publications

Undergraduate student authors in bold

Bluitt, J. L.; Woolridge, E. M.; Fitzgerald, N. 鈥淐omparison of qNMR Spectroscopy and an Enzyme-Based Standard Method for the Determination of Ethanol in Nonalcoholic Beer,鈥� J. Chem. Educ. 2025, 102, 4109-4114.  

Lee, A. A.; Gervasio, E. D.; Hughes, R. O.; Maalouf, A. A.; Musso, S. A.; Crisalli, A. M.; Woolridge, E. M. 鈥�Alginate Encapsulation Stabilizes Xylanase Toward the Laccase Mediator System.鈥� Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 2023, 195, 3311鈥�3326.

Badon, M. M.; Tekverk, D. G.; Vishnosky, N. S.; Woolridge, E. M. 鈥淓stablishing the Oxidative Tolerance of Thermomyces lanuginosus 齿测濒补苍补蝉别,鈥� J. Appl. Microbiol. 2019, 127, 508-519.

Woolridge, E. M. 鈥淢ixed Enzyme Systems for Delignification of Lignocellulosic Biomass,鈥� Catalysts 2014, 4, 1-35.

Bendl, R. F.; Kandel, J. M.; Amodeo, K. D.; Ryder, A. M.; Woolridge, E. M. 鈥淐haracterization of the Oxidative Inactivation of Xylanase by Laccase and a Redox Mediator,鈥� Enzyme Microb. Tech. 2008, 43, 149-156.

Yang, J.; Wang, Y.; Woolridge, E. M.; Arora, V.; Petsko, G. A.; Kozarich, J. W.; Ringe, D. 鈥淐rystal Structure of 3-Carboxy-cis,cis-muconate Lactonizing Enzyme from Pseudomonas putida, a Fumarase Class II Type Cycloisomerase: Enzyme Evolution in Parallel Pathways,鈥� Biochemistry 2004, 43, 10424-10434.

Hasson, M. S.; Schlichting, I.; McGowen, M. M.; Woolridge, E. M.; Kozarich, J. W.; Petsko, G. A.; Ringe, D. 鈥淐haracterization of Two Crystal Forms of 3-Carboxy-cis,cis-muconate Lactonizing Enzyme from Pseudomonas putida,鈥� Acta Crystallogr. 1997, D53, 352-353.

Williams, S. E.; Woolridge, E. M.; Ransom, S. C.; Landro, J. A.; Babbitt, P. C.; Kozarich, J. W. 鈥�3-Carboxy-cis,cis-muconate Lactonizing Enzyme (CMLE) from Pseudomonas putida is Homologous to the Class II Fumarase Family: A New Reaction in the Evolution of a Mechanistic Motif,鈥� Biochemistry 1992, 31, 9768-9776.

Woolridge, E. M.; Rokita, S. E. 鈥淭he Use of 6-(Difluoromethyl)indole to Study the Activation of Indole by Tryptophan Synthase,鈥� Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 1991, 286, 473-480.

Woolridge, E. M.; Rokita, S. E. 鈥�6-(Difluoromethyl)tryptophan as a Probe for Substrate Activation during the Catalysis of Tryptophanase,鈥� Biochemistry 1991, 30, 1852-1857.

Woolridge, E. M.; Rokita, S. E. 鈥淪ynthesis and Reactivity of 6-(Fluoromethyl)indole and 6-(Difluoromethyl)indole,鈥� Tetrahedron Lett. 1989, 30, 6117-6120.

Woolridge, E.; Turchi, S. L.; Edwards, J. R. 鈥淭he Peroxidase-Glucose Oxidase System in the Undergraduate Laboratory,鈥� Biochem. Educ. 1986, 14, 82-83. Reprinted in Practical Biochemistry for Colleges; Wood, E. J., Ed.; Permagon: New York, 1989; pp 31-32.

Awards and Honors

51吃瓜网 College Board of Trustees鈥� Faculty Award for Distinguished Teaching (2021)

51吃瓜网 College, Kilgariff Distinguished Service Award (2020)

51吃瓜网 College Student Government Association, School of Science Faculty of the Year Award (2007, 2008, and 2021)

鈥淯nderstanding the Oxidative Inactivation of Laccase and Xylanase toward Design of a Simultaneous Biodelignification System,鈥� Cottrell College Science Award, Research Corporation (2003)

鈥淚nvestigation of 3-Carboxymuconate Lactonizing Enzyme,鈥� National Research Service Award, National Institutes of Health (1991)

Image of Elisa Woolridge

Contact Information

Academic School

School of Science

Office

Donnelly 235C

Email

elisa.woolridge@marist.edu

Phone

(845) 575-3000 ext. 2390