Research Interests: Enzyme Mechanisms, Nucleic Acids Biochemistry, RNA Biochemistry

Research Description: Mechanism and structure of autocatalytic RNA. Interests in this lab are directed at understanding various aspects of RNA structure and function with a focus on catalytic RNAs. Most of the work currently is directed at developing a detailed understanding of the structure, dynamics and chemical mechanism of the self-cleaving RNAs sequences (ribozymes) in hepatitis delta virus (HDV).

Research Interests: Chemical Biology, Nucleic Acids Biochemistry, Physical Biochemistry, Protein Design, Protein Folding, Protein Structure, Structural Biology, X-Ray Crystallography

Research Description: Structure and mechanism of proteins and macromolecular assemblies central to DNA replication, DNA repair and cellular signaling.

Research Interests: Membrane Biochemistry

Research Description: Biochemistry of spectrin-based membrane skeleton and other membrane skeletal proteins.

Research Interests: Computational Biology, Enzyme Mechanisms, Physical Biochemistry

Research Description: Dr. Beratan, the Chair and R.J. Reynolds Professor of Chemistry, is exploring the molecular mechanisms that enable the function of complex biological machines and molecular materials.

Research Interests: Gene Function and Regulation, Hormones, Signal Transduction

Research Description: Our laboratory has been interested in several aspects of signal transduction resulting from binding of polypeptide hormones to their surface receptors on cells. One major topic under study is the role of direct substrates for protein kinase C (PKC) in mediating the many cellular effects resulting from activation of this family of kinases by hormones and other agonists.

Research Interests: Enzyme Mechanisms, Membrane Biochemistry, Signal Transduction

Research Description: Research in this laboratory focuses on the area of transmembrane signaling mediated through guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory proteins (G proteins). Many of these signaling pathways are involved in control of cell growth; this property is highlighted by discoveries over the past decade that mutations in G proteins can lead to oncogenic transformation.

Research Interests: Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, NMR of Macromolecules, Physical Biochemistry, Protein Design, Protein Folding, Protein Structure, Structural Biology

Research Description: The Donald laboratory works on algorithms in structural molecular biology and proteomics. One recent focus has been computational methods in biological macromolecular NMR. A second thrust has been enzyme design in the non-ribosomal peptide synthetase pathway. The latter ties into our long-standing interest in micro- and nano-technology.

Research Interests: Mass Spectrometry, Structural Biology

Research Description: Dr. Fitzgerald's research group is focused on studies of protein folding and stability. The group utilizes a unique combination of mass spectrometry-based methods, chemical synthesis strategies, and biophysical techniques to investigate both fundamental and practical aspects of protein folding reactions.

Research Interests: Enzyme Mechanisms

Research Description: Mechanisms of action of enzymes; oxygen metabolism. Superoxide (O.-2) is produced in aerobic cells during both spontaneous and enzymic oxidations and it is capable of directly or indirectly damaging proteins, nucleic acids, and unsaturated lipids

Research Interests: Gene Function and Regulation, Nucleic Acids Biochemistry, RNA Biochemistry

Research Description: My lab uses biochemistry and genetics to investigate the transcription apparatus in eukaryotes, focusing on RNA polymerase II and factors affecting its activity. These studies contribute to understanding gene expression during development.

Research Interests: Enzyme Mechanisms, Physical Biochemistry

Research Description: My research is concerned with studying the dynamics of single enzyme molecules using fluorescence microscopy. Ensemble averaged measurements (normal enzyme kinetics) can mask some of the individual events that occur during catalysis.

Research Interests: Bioinformatics, Chemical Biology, Computational Biology, Mass Spectrometry, Physical Biochemistry, Protein Design, Protein Folding, Protein Structure, Structural Biology

Research Description: Combined theoretical and experimental approaches to protein and drug design; molecular simulation; protein engineering. The work in this laboratory takes a combined theoretical and experimental approach to problems in structural biophysics.

Research Interests: Gene Function and Regulation, Medical Biology

Research Description: Our research is related to the genetics, pathogenesis, and therapy of inherited disorders of purine metabolism. Our main focus has been on combined immunodeficiency caused by deficiency of adenosine deaminase (ADA) or purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP).

Research Interests: Glycobiology, Protein Structure

Research Description: Structure-function relationships of proteins; structure, function, and biosynthesis of oligosacchsrides

Research Interests: Nucleic Acids Biochemistry, Replication and Stabilization of Genes

Research Description: The focus of our research program is on the structure, function, and mechanism of DNA topoisomerases. In addition to the biochemical studies, our laboratory uses Drosophila as a system to probe the genetic and biological functions of these enzymes.

Research Interests: Microbial Pathogenesis, Nucleic Acids Biochemistry, Replication and Stabilization of Genes, Virology

Research Description: The Kreuzer lab studies the mechanisms of DNA replication, recombination and repair, and in particular, how these processes interconnect. A major current focus of the lab is the fate of replication forks when they encounter DNA damage, such as tightly bound proteins. We have shown that two different classes of antitumor drugs and the antibacterial quinolones result in replication fork blockage at the sites of drug-induced protein-DNA complexes, and we are investigating how this fork blockage relates to cytotoxicity and genome rearrangements induced by the drugs.

Research Interests: Membrane Biochemistry, Microbial Pathogenesis

Research Description: Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) causes traveler's diarrhea and infant mortality in underdeveloped countries, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen for immunocompromised patients. In our lab, we focus on the genetic, biochemical and functional features of bacterial vesicle production.

Research Interests: Hormones, Medical Biology, Membrane Biochemistry, Signal Transduction

Research Description: Isolation identification of neural receptor sites; interaction of neurotransmitters and receptors. As model systems we utilize the so called adrenergic receptors for adrenaline and related molecules. The goal is to learn the general principles of signal transduction from the outside to the inside of the cell which are involved in systems as diverse as sensory perception, neuro- transmitter and hormonal signaling.

Research Interests: Chemical Biology, Enzyme Mechanisms, Gene Function and Regulation, Medical Biology, Microbial Pathogenesis, Nucleic Acids Biochemistry

Research Description: Our research interests are broadly based in chemical biology, mechanistic enzymology and molecular medicine. Towards this end our group is engaged in understanding the chemical and kinetic mechanisms, substrate specificity and therapeutic importance of enzymes that posttranslationally modify chromatin, such as histone deacetylases, histone demethylases, histone methyl transferases, and chromatin assembly and remodeling complexes. In addition, our laboratory also works to identify and develop novel strategies to overcome bacterial resistance to antibiotics through mechanistic characterization of enzymes involved in bacterial virulence and peptidoglycan biosynthesis and recycling.

Research Interests: Medical Biology, Nucleic Acids Biochemistry, Replication and Stabilization of Genes

Research Description: Mismatch repair is a mutation avoidance system that stabilizes the genome by correcting DNA biosynthetic errors, by blocking recombination between diverged DNA sequences, and in the case of human cells, by targeting for death cells that have suffered certain types of DNA chemical damage.

Research Interests: Hormones, Mass Spectrometry, Medical Biology, Metabolomics, Natural Products, Nutrition, Signal Transduction

Research Description: Our laboratory is interested in gaining a fundamental understanding of metabolic regulatory mechanisms, and in the application of this understanding to the development of new therapies for the epidemic diseases of diabetes and obesity.

Research Interests: Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Mass Spectrometry, NMR of Macromolecules, Physical Biochemistry, Protein Design, Protein Folding, Protein Structure, RNA Biochemistry, Structural Biology

Research Description: Our laboratory is primarily interested in the mechanisms of protein folding. We use nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and other spectroscopy to study the solution structure, stability and folding reactions of small protein models. In the past few years, our work has primarily focused on a monomeric form of the DNA-binding protein, λ repressor.

Research Interests: Bioinformatics, Chemical Biology, Enzyme Mechanisms, Glycobiology, Mass Spectrometry, Membrane Biochemistry, Metabolomics, Microbial Pathogenesis, Natural Products, Structural Biology

Research Description: The biochemistry of phospholipids has been the subject of intense research over the last ten years because of the important roles that these substances play in membrane assembly and signal transduction. Our laboratory has devised high throughput screening assays and expression cloning strategies, applicable to bacteria, yeast and animal cells, for identifying genes encoding enzymes of phospholipid biosynthesis.

Research Interests: Enzyme Mechanisms, Metabolomics, Natural Products, Protein Structure

Research Description: The research in our laboratory deals with the chemistry and biology of enzymes in which the element molybdenum is an essential constituent. Recent studies in the laboratory have led to the discovery and characterization of a novel prosthetic group, called molybdopterin, shown to be present in all Mo-containing enzymes (except nitrogenase) and is intimately involved in the catalytic activity associated with the molybdenum centers of the enzymes.

Research Interests: Computational Biology, Physical Biochemistry, Protein Design, Protein Folding, Protein Structure, RNA Biochemistry, Structural Biology, X-Ray Crystallography

Research Description: The long-term goal of the Richardson lab is to contribute to a deeper understanding of the 3D structures of proteins, including their description, determinants, folding, evolution, and control. Our approaches include protein crystallography, molecular graphics, and the design and characterization of new model proteins.

Research Interests: Computational Biology, Physical Biochemistry, Protein Design, Protein Folding, Protein Structure, RNA Biochemistry, Structural Biology, X-Ray Crystallography

Research Description: The long-term goal of the Richardson lab is to contribute to a deeper understanding of the 3D structures of proteins, including their description, determinants, folding, evolution, and control. Our approaches include protein crystallography, molecular graphics, and the design and characterization of new model proteins.

Research Interests: Gene Function and Regulation, Nucleic Acids Biochemistry, Replication and Stabilization of Genes

Research Description: Research in the Rusche lab focuses on the formation and function of repressive chromatin.

Research Interests: Physical Biochemistry, Structural Biology

Research Description: Dr. Simon is the George B. Geller Professor of the Department of Chemistry. He is a biophysical chemist studying the structure and functions of melanins, the photobiology of age pigments in the human eye, and the interactions of mycotoxins such as ochratoxin A with human plasma and membrane transport proteins.

Research Interests: NMR of Macromolecules, Physical Biochemistry, Protein Structure, Structural Biology, Virology

Research Description: Macromolecular structure and dynamics often play critical roles in determining biological function. We are using physical biochemical approaches to characterize proteins and their functional assemblies involved in repressor activity in E. coli and in human DNA repair by nucleotide excision.

Research Interests: Enzyme Mechanisms, Medical Biology, Signal Transduction

Research Description: Jonathan Stamler's laboratory investigates the mechanisms of nitric oxide signaling, in studies that provide insights into the redox-based regulation of protein function and the mechanistic basis of complex physiological responses.

Research Interests: Gene Function and Regulation, Nucleic Acids Biochemistry, RNA Biochemistry

Research Description: We are interested in the sequence and structural features of RNA that mediate regulation of gene expression. Our emphasis is on controls of gene expression at steps after initiation of transcription, which are increasingly recognized as important means of regulation. The general objective is to address current and fundamental questions in translation and mRNA processing/decay.

Research Interests: Chemical Biology, Glycobiology, Membrane Biochemistry, Natural Products

Research Description: Dr. Toone is a physical organic chemist who studies relationships between structure and activity in the context of biology. Currently active programs exist in biocatalysis/applied enzymology, ligand binding and the activity of water, and the synthesis of novel donors of nitric oxide.

Research Interests: Enzyme Mechanisms, Membrane Biochemistry, Signal Transduction, Structural Biology, X-Ray Crystallography

Research Description: My laboratory is interested in the biology of cellular communication networks and the mechanisms by which defects in these pathways contribute to the pathophysiology of human disease. We study a widely utilized communication network, the inositol signal transduction pathway.

Research Interests: NMR of Macromolecules, Physical Biochemistry, Protein Structure, Structural Biology

Research Description: Protein-protein interactions play a pivotal role in the regulation of various cellular processes. The formation of higher order protein complexes is frequently accompanied by extensive structural remodeling of the individual components, varying from domain re-orientation to induced folding of unstructured elements.