Karen Davis

The Biophysical Instrumentation Core and the Megalab Core have been combined to form the new Vanderbilt Center for Structural Biology Labs and Instrumentation Facility. The facility supports mass photometry, biolayer interferometry, stopped-flow spectrometry, microscale thermophoresis, dynamic light scattering, circular dichroism and microcalorimetry instruments for measuring macromolecular conformation, stability and binding… Read More

Bioengineered enzymes are used in a wide variety of applications including chemical synthesis, waste degradation, fuel production, disease diagnosis and treatment. The development of efficient enzymes can be accelerated by understanding the catalytic origin of enzymes, a fundamental question in the field of chemistry. Catalysis is believed to rely largely… Read More

Ben Brown, PhD Ben Brown, assistant research professor in chemistry, was recently awarded $2.375M to develop nonaddictive painkillers with AI. The grant, an Avenir Award in Chemistry and Pharmacology of Substance Use Disorders, is awarded by NIDA to early-stage investigators who propose highly… Read More

John Yang, PhD, Chemistry John Yang, assistant professor of chemistry, was recently appointed to the inaugural Early Career Board (ECB) for the Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation (JCTC). The ECB initiative provides young investigators with guidance and insight into the editorial process as they pursue… Read More

2024 Karpay Award Winner Eli McDonald, of the Meiler and Plate Labs, gives the MBTP/CSB Seminar on Tuesday, January 23, at 12:20pm in 1220 MRB3. Eli was drawn to scientific research from an early age. He studied the  molecular dynamics of phospholipid bilayer self-assembly as an undergraduate at Vanderbilt… Read More

In eukaryotes, DNA replication relies on the synthesis of a chimeric RNA/DNA primer by the heterotetrameric polymerase α-primase (pol-prim) enzyme. The primers generated by pol-prim consist of 7-10 ribonucleotides followed by ~20 deoxyribonucleotides and are generated by distinct active sites in the primase and polymerase subunits. Both… Read More

Top row, L to R: Shannon Kordus, Heather Kroh Bottom row, L to R: Borden Lacy, Ben Spiller Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) is a leading cause of diarrhea and healthcare-associated infections in the United States and recognized as an urgent threat by the Centers for Disease Control. Virulence of C. Read More

Eli McDonald, Meiler & Plate Labs Congratulations to Eli McDonald, of the Meiler and Plate Labs, for being named the 2024 recipient of The Karpay Award in Structural Biology. “I am truly honored by this recognition,” Eli said. Eli has worked in the Meiler and… Read More

Xeno nucleic acids (XNAs) are artificial pairing systems that replace the traditional deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) system present in most organisms. XNAs are of particular interest in the discovery and development of therapeutics as synthetic molecules offer a wider range of metabolic stability, uptake, distribution and binding partners compared to native… Read More

The CSB invites you to a day of exciting research, collaboration and networking on Thursday, March 28, 2024! CSB Symposium 2024 features talks from preeminent scientists engaged in cutting-edge research. The lineup of speakers includes Nozomi Ando, James Fraser, Jeanne Hardy… Read More