Computational and Structural Biology in Biodefense

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We will establish a multidisciplinary predoctoral and postdoctoral Training Program in Computational and Structural Biology in Biodefense, spanning the fields of biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, structural biology, bioinformatics, genomics, proteomics, database management, chemical biology, cell biology, immunology, virology, and pathology. The last 20 years have seen a remarkable resurgence of infectious diseases and the emergence of new ones such as AIDS and SARS, as well as the new threat from bioterrorism. Consequently, there is a critical need to train first-rate, imaginative, and creative scientists in this multidisciplinary field. Strong emphasis will be placed on cross-training in these fields. The opportunities to develop new vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics for biothreat agents and emerging or reemerging infectious diseases have never been greater, and the need to develop interdisciplinary training never more important than today. This training grant application requests support for six predoctoral and four postdoctoral trainees; each trainee will be supported for a period of two years. Together with the research and infrastructure and training support provided by the W. M. Keck Center for Computational Biology of the Gulf Coast Consortia as well as the Western Regional Center of Excellence in Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Galveston National Laboratory, this number will provide an adequate critical mass of trainees for the base of 32 mentors in the program, as each trainee will be required to participate in interdisciplinary research, with a primary mentor and a secondary co-mentor, one in structural, computational or chemical biology and the other in a biomedical field related to biodefense and infectious diseases. Part of the success of this program is the team-based, multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional groups of scientists that have worked together now for over 14 years, consisting of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Rice U., U. of Houston, U. of Texas HSC, Houston M. D. Anderson Cancer Ctr., and UTMB Galveston.