Peptide structure, protein folding mechanisms, and protein-DNA recognition mechanisms are areas of major interest in our laboratory. For example, we are probing the tertiary structure of neuropeptide tyrosine by the design, synthesis, and evaluation of the chemical, structural, and pharmacological properties of peptide analogs. We also are using a site-specific labeling approach to probe differences in substrate recognition and catalytic mechanisms used by viral vs prokaryotic vs eukaryotic nucleic acid polymerases. Gunda I. Georg . Novel approaches for the total synthesis, semisynthesis, and structure-activity investigations of medicinal agents are under study.
Efforts are also under way to develop chemical methods for combinatorial chemistry.
Gary L. Grunewald . Research interests are centered on the synthesis and mechanism of action of biologically active molecules. Emphasis is placed on the chemistry of the nervous system, including studies on the importance of charge-transfer complexation, hydrophobic binding and molecular conformation on the biosynthesis, uptake, storage and release of norepinephrine, dopamine, epinephrine and serotonin. Paul R. Hanson. Research interests are in developing novel synthetic routes to structurally diverse phosphorus and sulfur-containing molecules.