Development of novel electrospray coupled microfluidic devices: New tools for elucidating the role of transient intermediates in protein function

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Virtually all biochemical reactions occur through multiple steps with 'transient intermediates' along the way. These transient intermediates play a crucial role in the biological activity of proteins and may represent a vast untapped pool of potential drug targets. The trouble is, transient intermediates are often so short-lived that they are often difficult to detect directly, let alone characterize in detail. Research in my group focuses on the development of new tools for studying transient protein intermediates. We do this by combining microfluidics for rapid, precise liquid handling and the analytical power of electrospray mass spectrometry. Our overriding objective is to enable complex, structure based studies on transient protein intermediates leading ultimately to i) better understanding of transient species and their role in biology and ii) identification of new targets for drug therapy.