INTERDISCIPLINARY
Center poised for groundbreaking research into cellular biology
Building new molecules from the ground up. Developing drugs that mimic or block the body's own hormones. Establishing precisely how a molecule's shape and conformation affect its function in the body.
These are some of the goals of structural biology, the application of advanced imaging and computational techniques to determine the structure and dynamics of complex biological molecules. UB's new Center for Structural Biology will give scientists powerful new tools with which to study the life sciences.
Through a multimillion-dollar initiative, the university aims to become an international center for atomic-scale structural biology and larger-scale cellular structure. The interdisciplinary program will operate in conjunction with the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dental Medicine and School of Pharmacy.
"Structural biology is going to be extremely important in helping us to understand how the human body works, and in developing strategies for fighting disease," said Joseph J. Tufariello, dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and professor of chemistry. "It's an area we have to be in."
Joshua Wand, formerly professor of biochemistry, biophysics and chemistry at the University of Illinois, has been appointed director of the center and UB professor of chemistry, with joint appointments in the Departments of Biological Sciences and Biophysics.
