Gustav Nestor

Gustav Nestor's research is focused on NMR method development and NMR studies on carbohydrate-binding proteins and carbohydrate-active enzymes. He defended his PhD thesis ”Carbohydrate and metabonomic studies by NMR spectroscopy” in 2014 at SLU. Then he spent two years in the lab of Prof. Angela M. Gronenborn at the University of Pittsburgh with a scholarship from the Carl Trygger Foundation. Gustav now works as an Senior Lecturer (equivalent to Associate Professor) at SLU and he is involved in several collaborative projects using NMR spectroscopy on biomolecules. Group members are Piera Wiesinger (PhD student) and Laura Okmane (postdoc).

Course responsible for the course "Organic chemistry with energy applications" (KE0068) for the Master's programme in energy systems engineering, 2025-

Course responsible for the PhD course "Applied Biomolecular NMR Spectroscopy" 2020 and 2023

Lecturer in organic environmental chemistry, 2012-2015, 2018-

Teacher at laboratory exercises in first-cycle chemistry courses, 2007-2015, 2018-2019

C-13-Labeled carbohydrates for interactions between carbohydrates and proteins

Carbohydrates are usually not labeled with NMR active isotopes such as C-13 and N-15, in contrast to proteins. In this project, C-13-labeled carbohydrates are studied to gain more information about protein interactions using new NMR methods. The project is funded by a starting grant from the Swedish Research Council (2023-2026).

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs)

LPMOs are redox enzymes that are promising candidates for more efficient depolymerization of lignocellulose in order to obtain biofuels and biomaterials from biomass. We are investigating LPMOs and their substrate interactions by NMR spectroscopy to gain insights into their catalytic mechanisms. The project is funded by an early-career grant from Formas (2022-2025).

Hyaluronan

Hyaluronan is a naturally occurring polysaccharide with exceptionally good water-absorbing capacity, producing viscous solutions. NMR spectroscopy is used to investigate hydration and hydrogen bonding within the structure.

Docent (Associate Professor) in biology, specialisation in biotechnology, SLU, 2022

Senior Lecturer (equivalent to Associate Professor), SLU, 2024-

Associate Senior Lecturer (equivalent to Assistant Professor), SLU, 2019-2024

Postdoctoral associate in structural biology, University of Pittsburgh, 2015-2017 (Supervisor: Prof. Angela M. Gronenborn)

PhD in Chemistry, SLU, 2014 (Supervisor: Prof. Corine Sandström)

MSc in Chemistry, Stockholm University, 2007

Main supervisor of PhD students:

Piera Wiesinger (2022-)

Co-supervisor of PhD students:

Malin Tiefensee (2023-), main supervisor: Maria Westerholm

Naike Schwenner (2022-), main supervisor: Mats Sandgren

Elin Alexandersson (PhD in 2024), main supervisor: Corine Sandström

Yan Xue (PhD in 2023), main supervisor: Corine Sandström

Laura Okmane (PhD in 2023), main supervisor: Jerry Ståhlberg

Frida Wende (PhD in 2019), main supervisor: Corine Sandström

Supervisor of master's students:

Tuva Vredin (2022-2023), Matilda Jägare Lindvall (2024), Vijay Kumar Eerati (2023-2024)

Wiesinger, P. and Nestor G. (2024) NMR spectroscopic studies of chitin oligomers – Resolution of individual residues and characterization of minor amide cis conformations. Carbohydrate Polymers, DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.123122

Jayarathna, S., Péter-Szabó, Z., Nestor, G., Andersson, M., Vilaplana, F., Andersson, R. (2024) Impact of mutations in starch synthesis genes on morphological, compositional, molecular structure, and functional properties of potato starch. PLOS ONE, 19, e0310990.

Okmane, L., Sandgren, M., Ståhlberg, J., and Nestor, G. (2024) 1H, 13C and 15N backbone resonance assignment of Cel45A from Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Biomolecular NMR Assignments, DOI: 10.1007/s12104-024-10182-6.

Alexandersson, E., Sandström, C., Meijer, J., Nestor, G., Broberg, A., and E. Röhnisch, H. (2024) Extended automated quantification algorithm (AQuA) for targeted 1H NMR metabolomics of highly complex samples: Application to plant root exudates. Metabolomics, 20, 11.

Xue, Y., Ucieklak, K., Gohil S., Niedziela, T., Nestor, G., and Sandström, C. (2023) Metabolic labeling of hyaluronan: Biosynthesis and quantitative analysis of 13C,15N-enriched hyaluronan by NMR and MS-based methods. Carbohydrate Research, 531, 108888.

Xue, Y. and Nestor, G. (2022) Determination of amide cis/trans isomers in N-acetyl-D-glucosamine: Tailored NMR analysis of the N-acetyl group conformation. ChemBioChem, 23, e202200338.

Greijer, B. H., Nestor, G., Eriksson, J. E., Seisenbaeva, G. A., and Kessler, V. G. (2022) Factors influencing stoichiometry and stability of polyoxometalate - peptide complexes. Dalton Transactions, 51, 9511-9521.

Alexandersson, E. and Nestor, G. (2022) Complete 1H and 13C NMR spectral assignment of D-glucofuranose. Carbohydrate Research, 511, 108477.

Okmane, L., Nestor, G., Jakobsson, E., Xu, B., Igarashi, K., Sandgren, M., Kleywegt, G. J., and Ståhlberg, J. (2022) Glucomannan and beta-glucan degradation by Mytilus edulis Cel45A: Crystal structure and activity comparison with GH45 subfamily A, B and C. Carbohydrate Polymers, 277, 118771.

Kiseleva, A., Nestor, G., Östman, J. R., Kriuchkova, A., Savin, A., Krivoshapkin, P., Krivoshapkina, E., Seisenbaeva, G. A. and Kessler, V. G. (2021) Modulating surface properties of the Linothele fallax spider web by solvent treatment. Biomacromolecules, 22, 4945-4955.

Zhao, X., Jayarathna, S., Turesson, H., Fält, A.-S., Nestor, G., González, M. N., Olsson, N., Beganovic, M., Hofvander, P., Andersson, R., and Andersson, M. (2021) Amylose starch with no detectable branching developed through DNA-free CRISPR-Cas9 mediated mutagenesis of two starch branching enzymes in potato. Scientific Reports, 11, 4311.

Greijer, B., De Donder, T., Nestor, G., Eriksson, J. E., Seisenbaeva, G. A., and Kessler, V. G. (2021) Complexes of Keggin POMs [PM12O40]3‐ (M=Mo, W) with GlyGlyGly and GlyGlyGlyGly oligopeptides. European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 54-61

Nestor, G., Ruda, A., Anderson, T., Oscarson, S., Widmalm, G., Gronenborn, A. M. (2021) A detailed picture of a protein-carbohydrate hydrogen-bonding network revealed by NMR and MD simulations. Glycobiology, 31, 508-518.

Alexandersson, E., Sandström, C., Lundqvist, C. E., Nestor, G. (2020) Band-selective NMR experiments for suppression of unwanted signals in complex mixtures. RSC Advances, 10, 32511-32515.

Wende, F. J., Xue, Y., Nestor, G., Öhrlund, Å. and Sandström, C. (2020) Relaxation and diffusion of water protons in BDDE cross-linked hyaluronic acid hydrogels investigated by NMR spectroscopy – Comparison with physicochemical properties. Carbohydrate Polymers, 248, 116768.

Rominger, K. M., Nestor, G., Eriksson, J. E., Seisenbaeva, G. and Kessler V. (2019) Complexes of Keggin POMs [PM12O40]3- (M = Mo, W) with GlyGly peptide and arginine – Crystal structures and solution reactivity. European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 4297-4305.

Nestor, G., Anderson, T., Oscarson, S. and Gronenborn, A. M. (2018) Direct observation of carbohydrate hydroxyl protons in hydrogen bonds with a protein. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 140, 339-345.

Nestor, G., Anderson, T., Oscarson, S. and Gronenborn, A. M. (2017) Exploiting uniformly 13C-labeled carbohydrates for probing carbohydrate-protein interactions by NMR spectroscopy. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 139, 6210-6216.

Nestor, G. and Sandström C. (2017) NMR study of hydroxy and amide protons in hyaluronan polymers. Carbohydrate Polymers, 157, 920-928.

Nestor, G., Eriksson, J., Sandström, C., Malmlöf, K. (2015) Nuclear magnetic resonance-based blood metabolic profiles of rats exposed to short-term caloric restriction. Analytical letters, 48, 2613-2625.

Nestor, G., Lukasiewicz, J. and Sandström, C. (2014) Structural analysis of the core oligo­saccharide and the O-specific polysaccharide from Plesiomonas shigelloides O33:H3 (strain CNCTC 34/89) lipopoly­saccharide. European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 6, 1241-1252.

Rydén, A., Nestor, G., Jakobsson, K. and Marsh G. (2012) Synthesis and tentative identification of novel polybrominated diphenyl ether metabolites in human blood. Chemosphere, 88, 1227-1234.

Nestor, G., Bankefors, J., Schlechtriem, C., Brännäs, E., Pickova, J. and Sandström, C. (2010) High-resolution 1H magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy of intact arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) muscle. Quantitative analysis of n-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 58, 10799-10803.

Nestor, G., Kenne, L. and Sandström, C. (2010) Experimental evidence of chemical exchange over the b(1→3) glycosidic linkage and hydrogen bonding involving hydroxy protons in hyaluronan oligosaccharides by NMR spectroscopy. Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, 8, 2795-2802.

ORCID profile