What We Do

Big Picture:

The overarching goal of our research is to elucidate the 3D structures and functions of uncharacterized bacterial enzymes that belong to the large Gcn5-related N-acetyltransferase (GNAT) superfamily. Enzymes from this family have numerous functions, which include acylation of a variety of molecules such as polyamines, antibiotics, peptides, and proteins. However, the vast majority of their structures and functions remain unknown.

Importance:

GNATs have been implicated in an array of cellular functions and represent a system that is ripe for discovering new insight into important mechanisms of antibiotic and herbicide resistance, metabolic regulation, biofilms, and infectious diseases.

Our Mission:

We want to understand how a conserved protein structural architecture is used by nature to meticulously catalyze diverse reactions. The hope is that our basic research will lay the foundation for a more in-depth understanding of this family of enzymes and their importance in bacterial metabolism and infectious diseases.

How we do this:

MAGIC!!! But seriously, we use a combination of enzymology, computational, biophysical, and structural biology techniques.

A snapshot of where I see the laboratory’s contribution to the field is shown here.