Into the Blue

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Episode 3: Metalloproteins with Edward Snell

Metalloproteins with Edward Snell

Professor Edward Snell describes how sports equipment may help explain a breakthrough in bioimaging.

Many of the proteins in our bodies contain metals that serve as drug targets, but successful treatment depends on establishing a lock-and-key relationship between the metal and the pharmaceutical.

Edward Snell, president and CEO of Hauptman Woodward Medical Research Institute and a professor in the UB Department of Materials Design and Innovation, explains how his research team has discovered how to efficiently and accurately identify the molecules central to our understanding of biological processes and treating diseases.

Music by audionautix.com; “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” lyrics by Jack Norworth, composer Albert Von Tilzer, sung by Edward Meeker, published by Edison’s National Phonograph Company

Download a transcript of episode 3

Edward Snell, PhD

Read Snell's full bio

Dr. Snell is a biophysicist originally from the United Kingdom. He has a first class honors degree in Applied Physics and completed his Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Manchester, UK. He held a prestigious National Science Fellowship in the NASA laboratory for Biophysics at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville Alabama and worked with the laboratory for over a decade conducting experiments on the Space Shuttle, Mir, and the International Space Station. Dr. Snell was a scientific interface between NASA and scientists from multiple universities conducting experiments in space. He was awarded the Marshall Space Flight Center directors commendation for his work.

Dr. Snell came to the Institute in 2005 and has been supported in his research continuously by competitive awards from NIH, NSF, NASA, and the DoD. He has also received support from local and national foundations. Dr. Snell has served on numerous advisory and review committees and represented the scientific community on the American Institute of Physics News and Media Advisory Committee, the Stanford Synchrotron Lightsource Users Executive Committee, and the International Organization on Biological Crystallization among others. He has published over 70 research papers in international journals, four book chapters, and two books. Holding two patents, he is also a professor at the University of Buffalo Material Design and Innovation Department, a department that spans both the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Snell is an adjunct faculty at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and mentors graduate students from both Roswell Park and the University. He has long-term collaborations with scientific groups worldwide and has given hundreds of presentations at national and international meetings.

In 2014 Dr. Snell became the president and chief executive officer of the Institute. He is forging collaborative links regionally and nationally leading an accomplished, efficient, and skilled team who are committed to working today for the cures of tomorrow.

Past episodes:

Episode 2: Haunted Bauhaus with Libby Otto
8/9/21
Elizabeth Otto, a professor of art history, is the author of the new book, “Haunted Bauhaus: Occult Spirituality, Gender Fluidity, Queer Identities, and Radical Politics.” In this installment of Into the Blue, Otto shares the story of Friedl Dicker, a multitalented artist and teacher, who used the German art school’s innovative methods to help heal children during one of Europe’s darkest periods.
Episode 1: Understanding Wormholes with Dejan Stojkovic
8/9/21
Wormholes are phenomena that connect different parts of space. Albert Einstein called them bridges. The easiest way to find a wormhole is to search the science fiction section of a public library. But wormholes are not limited to fiction. They work as solutions to Einstein’s equations.