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Faculty


Area of Interest: Biophysics

Asturias, Francisco J. 
studies the structures of macromolecular assemblies involved in eukaryotic gene expression and its control, such as complexes formed by RNA polymerase II and general transcription factors, using the technique of cryoelectron microscopy.

Chang, Geoffrey A. 
is interested in the structural basis of the transport of substrate across the cell membrane by ion channels and transporters; he determines the structures of such integral membrane proteins through high-resolution x-ray crystallography.

Cook, Boaz Shay 
studies sensory processing of mechanical stimuli, from signal transduction in receptor cells to central neuronal networks; using the Drosophila model system to identify mechanosensory genes, study their role and analyze circuitry.

Danuser Andres, Gaudenz Martin 
develops image processing software for advanced fluorescence light microscopy and computational models of cytoskeleton mechanics to study the molecular regulation of cell migration and chromosome segregation.

Deniz, Ashok  
develops and uses single-molecule fluorescence methods to study the dynamics and interactions of biological molecules during such processes as protein/RNA folding and assembly of the 30S subunit of the bacterial ribosome.

Dyson, Helen Jane  
uses NMR to study the protein-folding process and to study the nature and behavior of unfolded and partly folded forms of proteins, including prion proteins and several newly-discovered, intrinsically unstructured proteins.

Getzoff, Elizabeth D. 
aims to characterize functionally important protein conformational states by coupling crystallography, spectroscopy, molecular biology and computational analyses, and to apply that knowledge to protein and inhibitor design for key biological processes, including photoactivity, electron transfer, and enzyme catalysis.

Ghadiri, M.Reza  
develops novel methods for the rational design and construction of functional and interesting bioorganic molecules, such as novel antimicrobial agents, catalytic peptides, biosensors, self-replicating systems, and molecular logic gates.

Goodin, David B. 
is focused on the rational engineering of metalloenzyme catalysts in order to better understand the chemical diversity of natural enzymes and to generate novel catalysts of potential utility.

Jegla, Timothy J. 
aims to define the molecular pathways through which potassium channels regulate neuronal signaling.

Johnson Jr., John Emil 
uses a variety of cellular and molecular biology methods to develop and test atomic resolution models of particle-related events in the virus life cycle; he also uses viruses as a paradigm for developing methods to determine atomic resolution models of cellular mega-structures.

Kelly, Jeffery William 
examines the bioorganic and biophysical chemistry of aberrant conformational changes in proteins associated with misfolding diseases, seeking to develop new approaches for preventing these diseases with purposefully designed small molecules.

MacRae, Ian John 
combines structural biology, biochemistry and cell biology to understand mechanisms of gene regulation by RNA interference.

Millar, David P. 
uses single-molecule fluorescence and time-resolved laser spectroscopy to study the dynamics of enzyme-DNA interactions and the folding of catalytic RNA molecules.

Milligan, Ronald A. 
uses cryo-electron microscopy and image analysis to study the structure and mechanism of action of large molecular machines such as actomyosin, kinesin-microtubules, MAPs-microtubles, VCP/p97 and dynein AAA ATPases, various membrane channels and transporters, and bacterial toxins.

Noodleman, Louis  
uses quantum chemistry and protein electrostatics to investigate the electronic structures and active site mechanisms of redox metalloproteins, such as respiratory iron-sulfur proteins, the nitrogen fixing nitrogenase enzyme, and the iron-oxo dimer enzymes methane monooxygenase and ribonucleotide reductase.

Otomo, Takanori  
studies structure and function of proteins involved in the autophagic pathway.

Powers, Evan T. 
is interested in the energetics and mechanisms of protein folding and aggregation.

Romesberg, Floyd Eric 
seeks to understand and evolve novel protein function by expanding the genetic code, to understand the molecular basis of DNA damage, repair, and mutagenesis, and to use femtosecond laser pulses to probe protein dynamics.

Schmid, Sandra L. 
is defining the molecular mechanisms of receptor-mediated endocytosis, which involves the concentration of receptor-ligand complexes into clathrin coated pits, their internalization via coated vesicles, and the regulation of these events by GTPases and kinases.

Stout, C. D. 
determines crystal structures of a variety of biological macromolecules, primarily integral membrane associated enzymes and proton pumps, cytochrome P450s, and iron-sulfur enzymes, and including HIV protease mutants, self-assembling peptides, and RNA-protein complexes, in order to understand structure-function relationships and establish mechanism.

Tainer, John A. 
develops and applies advanced tools for high-impact structural biology including combined x-ray scattering in solution and x-ray crystallography on complexes at his synchrotron beamline to bridge
from complexes and conformations to pathways and phenotypes by characterizing macromolecular machines, novel inhibitors, and the molecular basis for diseases and intervention strategies.

Williamson, Jamie R. 
studies the structure and dynamics of RNA molecules and RNA-protein complexes involved in the regulation of gene expression by employing NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography for solving high-resolution three-dimensional structures and examining the mechanism of assembly of multiprotein-RNA complexes.

Wilson, Ian A. 
has broad structural biology and structural genomics programs to determine thee-dimensional structure and biological function in a number of systems related to humoral, cellular and innate immunity, human disease, drug and vaccine design, influenza virus, HIV-1 , the expanding protein universe and metagenomics.

Wiseman, R. Luke Luke 
is interested in understanding the cellular and energetic factors that dictate intracellular protein folding as it relates to human disease.

Wright, Peter E. 
uses high-resolution, multi-dimensional, hetero-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to study protein dynamics, folding, and recognition, particularly of structures of protein-DNA and protein-protein complexes involved in the regulation of transcription.

Yang, Xiang-Lei  
is elucidating the functional diversity of mammalian aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in signal transduction pathways involving angiogenesis, neurogenesis, inflammation and apoptosis, and how the different functions of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are activated and regulated.

Yeager, Mark J. 
uses high resolution electron cryo-microscopy and image analysis to explore the architecture of supramolecular assemblies, such as transmembrane signaling proteins and channels (integrins, gap junction channels, and aquaporins) and viruses responsible for significant human disease (rotaviruses, astroviruses, and retroviruses).

 

 


List of Interests

Faculty - Alphabetical