About

Sarah Delaney is the Vernon K. Krieble Professor of Chemistry and serves as the Chair of the Department of Chemistry at Brown University. Her research focuses on nucleic acids chemistry and biology, particularly understanding the biological consequences of DNA damage. Using biochemistry, biophysics, and molecular biology methods, she probes the effects of DNA damage from the molecular to the cellular level. Her work involves synthesizing modified DNA nucleobases and studying their properties within well-defined systems, with a special interest in how DNA packaging into chromatin influences DNA repair processes. Dr. Delaney's educational background includes a B.A. in Chemistry from Middlebury College, a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Caltech, and a postdoctoral fellowship in Biological Engineering at MIT. Her research aims to elucidate the mechanisms of DNA repair and the impact of DNA damage on biological systems, contributing to a deeper understanding of DNA repair pathways and the role of chromatin structure in these processes.

Research topics

• Political Science
• Medicine
• Risk analysis (engineering)
• Chemistry
• Environmental health
• Internal medicine
• Pharmacology
• Statistics
• Nursing
• Emergency medicine
• Psychiatry
• Law
• Mathematics
• Business

Selected publications

• Global emergence and γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor activity of the new designer benzodiazepine ethylbromazolam

  Archives of Toxicology · 2026-05-20

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Designer benzodiazepines (DBZDs) are a class of new psychoactive substances (NPS) designed as legal alternatives to prescription BZDs. Bromazolam has been the most prevalent DBZD detected on the recreational market around the world; however, a new DBZD, ethylbromazolam (8-bromo-1-ethyl-6-phenyl-4 H-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a][1,4]benzodiazepine; also known as bromoethylazolam) has recently emerged. In this study, the emergence of ethylbromazolam in Canada, the UK, and Australia is reported based on analysis of samples from drug checking services and in Germany based on analysis of samples seized by customs and mail services. Since November 2024, ethylbromazolam has been increasingly detected with a concurrent decrease in bromazolam detections, suggesting that its emergence is likely in response to the international control of bromazolam on 3rd December 2024. Additionally, increased detections of other DBZDs, including desalkylgidazepam (bromonordiazepam) and clobromazolam (phenazolam) have been recently observed. The in vitro α 1 β 2 γ 2 GABA A receptor activity of ethylbromazolam was determined using an automated patch clamp assay. Ethylbromazolam was found to have similar in vitro GABA A receptor activity as bromazolam (EC 50 of 10.1 nM and 15.2 nM, respectively), indicating comparable pharmacological activity and potential for harm. The market should continue to be monitored closely as it continues to evolve in response to the control of bromazolam.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Caught in the Gap: A Case of Unexpected Lactate Elevation

  The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine · 2025-11-18

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Initiation of base excision repair is modulated by nucleosome occupancy modifying sequences

  DNA repair · 2025-05-23

  articleSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• A Balancing Act: Thymine DNA Glycosylase Combines Sequence and Rotational Preferences To Define Lesion Excision in the Nucleosome Core Particle

  Biochemistry · 2025-04-14 · 2 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) is a DNA glycosylase involved in base excision repair (BER) with a specialized role in the regulation of transcription through the maintenance of 5′-CpG-3′ sites via active demethylation. In this work, we investigate the ability of TDG to excise modified nucleobases from the simplest unit of compacted DNA, the nucleosome core particle (NCP). We measure TDG activity on a population of NCPs with uracil (U) at various geometric positions and report that kobs for U excision from the NCP depends on positioning and dinucleotide sequence context. Specifically, TDG prefers solution accessible 5′-UpG-3′ and 5′-UpA-3′ sites. By coupling our findings with previous studies, we suggest that TDG’s stringent substrate preferences facilitate its epigenetic role through the extensive contacts made with its DNA substrate.

  PublisherDOI

• Structure, dynamics, and processing of 8oxoG:A in the nucleosome

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-09-05

  preprintOpen access

  Eukaryotic genomic DNA is packaged into chromatin through a repeating unit known as the nucleosome. In this chromatin environment, DNA is constantly exposed to several sources of DNA damage, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can lead to the formation of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8oxoG). 8oxoG can base pair with cytosine (8oxoG:C) or form a mutagenic base pair with adenine (8oxoG:A), which can lead to single base transversions if left unrepaired. To date, the structure and dynamics of these two possible 8oxoG base pairs in the nucleosome remain unclear. Furthermore, whether MutY homologue (MUTYH) excises 8oxoG:A base pairs in the nucleosome remains elusive. Here using a combination of cryogenic-electron microscopy, molecular dynamics simulations, and biochemistry we determined the structure and dynamics of 8oxoG:C and 8oxoG:A base pairs in the nucleosome and characterize MUTYH activity in nucleosomal DNA. We found that nucleosomal 8oxoG:C forms a stable base pair using its anti conformation, while nucleosomal 8oxoG:A forms a more dynamic base pair using its syn conformation that is unable to be processed by MUTYH. This work provides fundamental insight into the accommodation of oxidative damage in the nucleosome and how this damage contributes to increased mutagenic transversions in nucleosomal compared to linker DNA.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Choosing Wisely Canada recommendations for clinical biochemistry: test ordering for sustainable and high-quality patient care

  Clinical Biochemistry · 2025-05-21 · 2 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Commentary on Supratherapeutic Carbamazepine Concentration Following a Recent SARS-CoV-2 Infection

  Clinical Chemistry · 2025-03-29

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• New Psychoactive Substances: A Canadian perspective on emerging trends and challenges for the clinical laboratory

  Clinical Biochemistry · 2024-08-23 · 13 citations

  reviewSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• B-262 Validation of a point-of-care lateral flow immunoassay for urine drug testing prior to application in an outpatient rapid access addiction medicine clinic

  Clinical Chemistry · 2024-10-01 · 1 citations

  article

  Abstract Background Point-of-care (POC) urine drug testing is a useful adjunct to self-reporting in rapid access addiction medicine settings to immediately guide patient management. However, available POC immunoassays have limitations including cross-reactivity with unrelated compounds or low sensitivity that may cause false results. Here, we assessed the performance of a multi-drug test panel by comparing against gold-standard liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) testing. Methods 102 residual urine specimens were assayed using a competitive lateral flow immunoassay (LFA) for 10 drugs: 2-ethylene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP, methadone metabolite), buprenorphine, morphine, hydromorphone, oxycodone, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamine, and benzodiazepines (BTNX Rapid ResponseTM Multi-Drug Panel). Results were compared to those obtained by LC-MS/MS (n=67, 66%) or kinetic interaction of microparticles in solution automated immunoassay (KIMS) (Roche Diagnostics, n=35, 33%). Broad spectrum LC-MS/MS results were reviewed in entirety for discordant cases, particularly in false positives to identify the presence of any known cross-reacting compounds. Results Of 10 drugs evaluated, four demonstrated ≥95% agreement with LC-MS/MS or KIMS immunoassay (EDDP, buprenorphine, oxycodone, methamphetamine). Fentanyl demonstrated the highest false negative rate of 44% (LFA cut-off: 10 ng/mL) followed by amphetamines (22%, cut-off: 1000 ng/mL). Morphine and hydromorphone demonstrated false positive rates of 14% and 18%, respectively, with most cases likely due to cross-reacting opiate or opioid metabolites. Benzodiazepines (target: Oxazepam) demonstrated false positive and negative rates of 13% and 24%, respectively. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the performance of the BTNX multi-drug test panel against definitive testing in urine samples. While good concordance was observed for most drugs, high rates of discordant results for fentanyl and others emphasize the need for confirmatory testing by methods with higher sensitivity and specificity. Careful consideration prior to implementation would be essential, including physician education, interpretative comments, and training resources.

  PublisherDOI

• Global screening of base excision repair in nucleosome core particles

  DNA repair · 2024-10-19 · 10 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant P20RR016457

  NIH · $27.6M · 2014

• Modulation of DNA Repair by the Protein Component of Chromatin

  NSF · $860k · 2018–2023

• Inflammation as a Mediator of Dynamic DNA Mutations

  NIH · $2.2M · 2010–2016

• IMSD@Brown

  NIH · $2.0M · 2023–2028

• NIH resubmission Deyu Li - Etheno adductome and repair pathways

  NIH · $1.6M · 2023–2027

Frequent coauthors

• Daniel R. Beriault

  27 shared

• Catherine B. Volle

  Cornell University

  21 shared

• Chuxuan Li

  Rice University

  20 shared

• Daniel A. Jarem

  Materials Systems (United States)

  20 shared

• Paul J. Caffrey

  New England Biolabs (United States)

  16 shared

• Katelyn L. Rioux

  Brown University

  16 shared

• David Colantonio

  Ottawa Hospital

  15 shared

• Craig J. Yennie

  Providence College

  14 shared

Labs

• Delaney LaboratoryPI