Guillermo Jimenez Aleman
Guillermo Jimenez Aleman
Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Environmental Science
126 York Center (YORK)
About Me
Dr. Jimenez-Aleman completed his PhD training in Bioorganic Chemistry at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology (W. Boland’s group), in Jena, Germany. After his PhD, he received a DFG postdoctoral fellowship to study Jasmonate Signaling at the National Centre for Biotechnology (R. Solano’s group), in Madrid, Spain. He continued his career at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research (G. Jander and F.W. Li Labs) in Ithaca, New York. In September 2024, Dr. Jimenez-Aleman joined NJIT to pioneer plant research at the institution. His laboratory will use non-vascular plants to study small molecule signaling pathways governing plant interactions with the environment. Moreover, the JA-Lab will explore the biosynthesis and chemical biology of seedless plant natural products.
Education
Ph.D.; Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology and the Friedrich Schiller-University; Bioorganic Chemistry; 2016
B.S.; University of Havana; Chemistry; 2002
B.S.; University of Havana; Chemistry; 2002
Research Interests
Phytochemistry; Chemical Ecology; Plant Biochemistry; Plant-Insect Interactions
In Progress
Cannabinoid biosynthesis pathway in nonvascular plants
Cannabinoids derived from plants are emerging as valuable pharmaceutical tools for improving human health and well-being, offering alternative treatments for a range of medical conditions. The two primary cannabinoids utilized in pharmacology, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), are found in Cannabis sativa (cannabis). While cannabinoids can sometimes cause undesired side effects, they also provide significant therapeutic benefits, including pain relief, muscle relaxation, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anxiolytic, and antipsychotic properties.
To better harness the pharmacological potential of cannabinoids, researchers are exploring novel compounds, including those from lesser-known plant species such as the liverwort genus Radula. The independent evolutionary origin of cannabinoids in Radula is particularly intriguing—not only because it represents the only known occurrence of cannabinoids outside of flowering plants but also due to its unique chemical composition and potentially distinct pharmacological properties. Although research on Radula cannabinoids remains limited, a recent study by Chicca et al. (2018) highlighted this plant as a promising alternative to cannabis-derived drugs, especially given its potential to cause fewer cognitive side effects.
In our laboratory, we aim to uncover the biosynthetic pathway of cannabinoids in Radula and develop a heterologous production system in a faster-growing plant species. Our goal is to understand how cannabinoid biosynthesis evolved convergently in organisms that diverged over 450 million years ago. This knowledge could pave the way for the rational design of novel cannabinoids and related compounds, enabling future studies to thoroughly evaluate their chemical properties, therapeutic potential, and safety profile.
Fatty acid metabolism and signaling in the model nonvascular plant Marchantia polymorpha
As one of the earliest diverging lineages of land plants, Marchantia polymorpha occupies a pivotal phylogenetic position for investigating the evolution of plant metabolic pathways. Liverworts, including M. polymorpha, represent a transitional stage between aquatic green algae and vascular plants. This evolutionary placement makes M. polymorpha an invaluable model for understanding how lipid signaling systems adapted to support life on land.
Unlike vascular plants, M. polymorpha synthesizes long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) such as arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, compounds that are rare in higher plants but common in animals. These LCPUFAs serve as precursors for bioactive signaling molecules, including jasmonates, which play key roles in regulating immune responses and growth processes. Recent studies have identified novel jasmonate-like molecules derived from C20 fatty acids (FAs), such as C20-OPDA and Δ4-dn-OPDA, which activate jasmonate signaling pathways in M. polymorpha.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), including LCPUFAs, are also essential precursors for the biosynthesis of green leaf volatiles (GLVs)—a class of bioactive compounds involved in plant defense and priming against stressors. While GLV biosynthesis is well-characterized in vascular plants, bryophytes like M. polymorpha exhibit a distinct lipid metabolism that may involve alternative enzymes and unique PUFA-derived volatiles.
In our laboratory, we aim to further elucidate the biosynthetic and signaling pathways of PUFA-derived small molecules in M. polymorpha, focusing on their ecological relevance as mediators of plant interactions with the environment. By employing genetic tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 alongside metabolomic approaches, we seek to uncover how these pathways evolved over 450 million years of plant diversification. Additionally, we investigate the crosstalk between enzymes mediating in jasmonate and GLV biosynthesis.
Understanding fatty acid metabolism and signaling in M. polymorpha will not only shed light on the evolutionary history of land plants but also open new avenues for biotechnological applications. For example, engineering LCPUFA production in faster-growing or agriculturally relevant plant systems could provide sustainable sources of bioactive lipids for pharmaceutical or agricultural purposes. This research bridges fundamental evolutionary biology with practical innovations for addressing global challenges in health and agriculture.
Cannabinoids derived from plants are emerging as valuable pharmaceutical tools for improving human health and well-being, offering alternative treatments for a range of medical conditions. The two primary cannabinoids utilized in pharmacology, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), are found in Cannabis sativa (cannabis). While cannabinoids can sometimes cause undesired side effects, they also provide significant therapeutic benefits, including pain relief, muscle relaxation, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anxiolytic, and antipsychotic properties.
To better harness the pharmacological potential of cannabinoids, researchers are exploring novel compounds, including those from lesser-known plant species such as the liverwort genus Radula. The independent evolutionary origin of cannabinoids in Radula is particularly intriguing—not only because it represents the only known occurrence of cannabinoids outside of flowering plants but also due to its unique chemical composition and potentially distinct pharmacological properties. Although research on Radula cannabinoids remains limited, a recent study by Chicca et al. (2018) highlighted this plant as a promising alternative to cannabis-derived drugs, especially given its potential to cause fewer cognitive side effects.
In our laboratory, we aim to uncover the biosynthetic pathway of cannabinoids in Radula and develop a heterologous production system in a faster-growing plant species. Our goal is to understand how cannabinoid biosynthesis evolved convergently in organisms that diverged over 450 million years ago. This knowledge could pave the way for the rational design of novel cannabinoids and related compounds, enabling future studies to thoroughly evaluate their chemical properties, therapeutic potential, and safety profile.
Fatty acid metabolism and signaling in the model nonvascular plant Marchantia polymorpha
As one of the earliest diverging lineages of land plants, Marchantia polymorpha occupies a pivotal phylogenetic position for investigating the evolution of plant metabolic pathways. Liverworts, including M. polymorpha, represent a transitional stage between aquatic green algae and vascular plants. This evolutionary placement makes M. polymorpha an invaluable model for understanding how lipid signaling systems adapted to support life on land.
Unlike vascular plants, M. polymorpha synthesizes long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) such as arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, compounds that are rare in higher plants but common in animals. These LCPUFAs serve as precursors for bioactive signaling molecules, including jasmonates, which play key roles in regulating immune responses and growth processes. Recent studies have identified novel jasmonate-like molecules derived from C20 fatty acids (FAs), such as C20-OPDA and Δ4-dn-OPDA, which activate jasmonate signaling pathways in M. polymorpha.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), including LCPUFAs, are also essential precursors for the biosynthesis of green leaf volatiles (GLVs)—a class of bioactive compounds involved in plant defense and priming against stressors. While GLV biosynthesis is well-characterized in vascular plants, bryophytes like M. polymorpha exhibit a distinct lipid metabolism that may involve alternative enzymes and unique PUFA-derived volatiles.
In our laboratory, we aim to further elucidate the biosynthetic and signaling pathways of PUFA-derived small molecules in M. polymorpha, focusing on their ecological relevance as mediators of plant interactions with the environment. By employing genetic tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 alongside metabolomic approaches, we seek to uncover how these pathways evolved over 450 million years of plant diversification. Additionally, we investigate the crosstalk between enzymes mediating in jasmonate and GLV biosynthesis.
Understanding fatty acid metabolism and signaling in M. polymorpha will not only shed light on the evolutionary history of land plants but also open new avenues for biotechnological applications. For example, engineering LCPUFA production in faster-growing or agriculturally relevant plant systems could provide sustainable sources of bioactive lipids for pharmaceutical or agricultural purposes. This research bridges fundamental evolutionary biology with practical innovations for addressing global challenges in health and agriculture.