Living Systems, Macro and Micro

Biochemists study fundamental life processes at the molecular level, exploring the chemistry, structure, and biological significance of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates, along with the small molecules (metabolites) that control their behaviors. Discoveries made using biochemical approaches can be used to identify new drug targets to prevent or cure diseases, to develop vaccines against emerging diseases, to design new drugs and therapeutics based on the structures of proteins or nucleic acids, to develop new molecular tools for evaluating and elucidating cellular function, and to better understand the biochemical roles that biomolecules play in health and disease.

Current research in the unit involves developing improved mathematical models of physiological systems; gaining new insights into mechanisms of physiological behavior; improving techniques for diagnosing and treating diseases; and devising advanced algorithms for analyzing physiological measurements.

Current work in the unit involves developing new mathematical techniques to study problems of geophysical fluid dynamics, climate modeling, extreme weather, coastal and natural hazards, and other complex systems arising in the study of Earth and environmental systems.

Current work in the Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences uses Next Generation Sequencing to elucidate genomic and proteomics aspects of phage, bacteria and plants as it relates to pathogenesis, resistance, metabolic engineering, etc.