 |
|
|
|
 Marine Natural Products as Anti-Cancer Compounds
Phil Crews, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry
The Crews laboratory investigates the chemical structure and biological activity of chemical compounds that are derived from marine organisms. Among its many research projects, the laboratory collaborates with scientists at other research institutions and pharmaceutical industries to explore the identification and development of naturally occuring compunds in the fight against cancer. [More]
|
 Protein Structure Prediction and Design
Kevin Karplus, Dept. of Biomolecular Engineering
Kevin Karplus' research group develops tools and techniques for protein structure prediction and protein design. He collaborates with Richard Hughey's group on the development of the SAM tool suite for profile hidden Markov models, particularly on developing protocols for using the tools for high-accuracy detection of remote relationships between proteins. Karplus' group has used these tools themselves to earn an international reputation for accurate prediction of protein structure: secondary structure, tertiary structure, and contact prediction. In the biannual Critical Assessment of Structure Prediction "contests", his group has presented papers (the "prize" for the contest) in the past 6 CASPs. The group also collaborates extensively with UCSC wet-lab biologists in predicting structure and function for proteins of interest to them, and is starting work on designing novel proteins. [More]
|
 How Bacterial Pathogens Sense and Respond to Host Environments
Karen Ottemann, Dept. of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology
Professor Karen Ottemann's laboratory investigates how bacteria translate chemical and physical cues in their host environment into adaptive responses. Mistakes in sensation and subsequent gene expression by bacteria may result in their elimination by the host immune response or peristaltic flow. Elucidation of such processes will hopefully lead to identification of anti-bacterial drug targets. Ottemann is particularly interested in the role of chemoreceptors and chemotaxis associated with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. This pathogen infects some 3 billion humans and can lead to serious disease, including ulcers and cancer. Ottemann and her colleagues have discovered two of the first chemoreceptors known to aid in the process of bacterial colonization. [More]
|
|
