Specialty Areas
Proteomics
Structural VirologyBreakthroughs at Purdue have shed light on the inner workings of deadly Dengue fever, responsible for 50 million cases and 24,000 deaths worldwide. Recent outbreaks in Rio de Janiero and Hawaii have proven devastating to public health and previously robust tourist economies. The Purdue Structure Group pioneered the scientific exploration of virus structure – it was at Purdue that one of the first structures of any virus was determined and the first at which the structure of the human cold virus was revealed. Projects underway offer hope for breakthroughs in the study of anti-cold drugs, immune system antiviral functions, drug delivery, and analyses of Herpes Simplex, human papilloma virus (a major cause of cancer deaths among women), polioviruses, retroviruses, West Nile, Ebola, and AIDS.
Novel Drug-Design and Delivery SystemsThorough comprehension of virus structures enables researchers to recommend new classes of designer drugs, while detailing “family resemblances” among viruses permit extension of novel therapies to other diseases. By co-opting the potent infective apparatus of certain especially “successful” viruses and replacing the genetic material with therapeutic agents, Purdue researchers have opened the door to vastly more swift and effective mechanisms of drug delivery.
Enzyme ArchaeologyNo pith helmets are needed for this expedition! Purdue scientists have solved the structure of an ancient protein with unique properties that appears to be the evolutionary parent of a large family of important proteins. Further studies will shed light on the evolutionary processes of enzymes and their workings.
Designer EnzymesEnzyme machines at work! Purdue biologists have solved the structure of an enzyme at two points on a dynamic pathway - wide open in its free state, and enclosing its “prey” in preparation for a chemical reaction. Our understanding of enzyme function from such basic research projects, coupled with the techniques of genetic engineering, leads to new enzymes engineered for valuable missions for humankind, including eco-remediation and elimination of harmful bacteria.
