Biochemistry

Research in biochemistry comprises the broad area of structure-function relationships in individual macromolecules and their assemblies. Using spectroscopic, enzymological, and biophysical approaches, investigators probe the detailed atomic-level basis for biological activity. Research includes work on protein and nucleic acid folding and design, on enzyme mechanisms, on materials properties of biomolecules, and on the basis for specificity in macromolecular interactions. Particular techniques employed include: Xray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), mass spectrometry, light scattering, and fluorescence and absorption spectroscopies. These approaches are generally applied to highly purified proteins and nucleic acids, and their assemblies. Supporting technologies include recombinant DNA and molecular genetics for the construction and expression of macromolecules and their variants, and bioinformatics techniques used to mine the expanding databases of genomic sequence information.

Affiliated Faculty

Chemistry & Biochemistry

Roles of metals in metalloenzymes; microbial iron acquisition, including siderophores and new metallo-enzymes.

Andrea Carlini - by courtesy
Chemistry & Biochemistry

The Carlini Group focuses on breaking down barriers between endogenous biochemical signals and exogenous soft materials for the fabrication of smart devices. We aim to revisit biomedical problems that remain shockingly unsolved, by integrating structurally dynamic polymers and biomaterials into autonomous sense-response-feedback platforms.

Chemistry & Biochemistry

Biochemistry; protein structure and function relationships; protein dynamics; chemotaxis in bacteria.

Physics

Physical foundations of macromolecular technology: self-assembly, polymer mechanics and stability, energy transport, diffusion, and DNA-based nanotechnology.

Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Chemistry & Biochemistry

The role of radicals in enzyme catalysis and degradation, development of electron bifurcating flavoproteins, and biogeochemical redox cycling of phosphorus.

Chemistry & Biochemistry
Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Molecular mechanisms of ribosome pausing during protein synthesis and recruitment of SsrA (tmRNA) to stalled ribosomes.

Chemistry & Biochemistry

RNA folding and evolution; nucleic acid-based bionanotechnology and biomaterials; emergence of complexity in living systems.

Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease; structure/function studies on tau using NMR, spectroscopic, biochemical, molecular, and cell biological methods; role of cdk5/p35 in neuronal development and signal transduction.

Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Microbial pathogenesis; innate and adaptive immune responses to infection; coagulopathy and inflammation of sepsis; vaccine development.

Assistant Professor (by Courtesy) of
Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Macrophages patrol our tissues looking for signs of injury or infection. The Morrissey Lab wants to understand how macrophages measure, add and subtract all the signals they receive to calculate their response to a target. We use high resolution live imaging, synthetic biology and biochemistry to figure out when and where signaling molecules are activated to make these essential decisions. We are motivated by re-wiring macrophage signaling pathways to generate new cancer immunotherapies.

Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Bio-nano technology including molecular mechanisms controlling self assembly, emergent properties of biomolecular systems from minerals to dynamically tunable color in octopus skin; translation to revolutionary new routes to semiconductors, optoelectronics and energy.

Chemistry & Biochemistry

Neurotransmitter storage; transporter structure and function; development of in vivo diagnostics for PET and SPECT, rapid assays for drug abuse.

Chemistry & Biochemistry

Bioengineering and protein biophysics.

Chemistry & Biochemistry

  Enzymology of enzymes that modify nucleic acids, including bacterial and human epigenetic enzymes with biomedical relevance. Protein engineering, inhibitor design. Drug development. Nanoparticle-based delivery of siRNA, proteins, and drugs into cells (cancer/embryonic stem cell) and animals. Laser-dependent spatio-temporal control of drug targeting.
    

Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Human cells constantly repair DNA damage caused by everything from biological processes and chemical insults to CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing reagents. Cells repair DNA by spatially and temporally coordinating the activity of hundreds of individual DNA repair factors. Failure or inability to repair damaged DNA can result in innocuous sequence mutation, or severe consequences like genome instability and cell death. This interplay between DNA damage and repair is intricately linked to organismal biology and plays key roles in embryo development, carcinogenesis, and aging.

Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Molecular biology of animal virus-cell interactions; antiviral innate immunity & mechanisms of interferon action; translational control of gene expression in mammalian cells; A-to-I RNA editing; new materials for gene delivery into mammalian cells.

Chemistry & Biochemistry

Bioelectronics, Single entity Biophysics, Nano-electrochemistry, Electron Transfer, Enzyme Catalysis

Chemistry & Biochemistry
Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Ion channels in the nervous system and cardiac muscle; molecular mechanisms of ion channel trafficking, regulation, and signal transduction.

Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Biochemistry and biophysics of bio-adhesion in marine organisms; bio- and nanomechanics of sclerotized composites; liquid crystals and molecular gradients in biomolecular materials.

Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Biochemistry and function of cytoskeletal proteins; regulation of microtubules assembly and dynamics.

Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

The Wilson Lab comines tools from Biology, Engineering, and Physics to understand the cell's perceptual field.  

Chemistry & Biochemistry