Our goal is to develop novel solutions for biomedical challenges of the 21^st century. We work in a collaborative and creative team at the intersection of biology, computer science, and chemistry. Our lab is inspired by scientific questions and is dedicated to improve inclusivity, equity, and diversity in STEM.

We are interested in developing innovative solutions to a wide range of basic science and applied problems in the field of protein biochemistry and use the power of computers to speed-up and guide us through this process. Two main areas of focus in the lab are:

Constrained peptides: From fundamental understanding to design

Constrained peptides are an attractive class of macromolecules both due to their unique structural features (rigid conformations, use of unnatural amino acids) and their potential to bind with high affinities to other molecules, such as proteins. Our lab is interested in (a) developing methods for understanding the structural features of naturally occurring constrained peptides, (b) generating constrained peptides with pre-defined shapes. To learn more, check our paper on computational design of macrocycles.

Design functional proteins and peptides

Proteins are workhorses of nature; they perform almost all functions essential to life on earth. Years of evolution has made them ideally fit for the specific task they perform within our cells. Our lab is interested in finding ways to generate designer proteins evolved in the lab or in the computer for functions fit to the current needs of our society. In particular, we are interested in: (a) designing peptide-based therapeutics as anti-bacterial and anti-cancer agents, (b) developing novel bio-sensing platforms.