Current research in biological chemistry at MIT includes:

1. Development of new technologies and synthesis of molecules to measure metal ion concentrations and protein movement, protein interactions and enzyme activities inside cells.
2. Efforts to understand the structure and function of metallo-proteins with novel cofactors and macromolecular protein complexes involved in glycosylation, DNA replication and repair, and controlled protein degradation and signaling pathways.
3. Use of single molecule methods to study ion transport and protein movement within membranes and solid state NMR methods to examine membrane protein structure and function.
4. Development of new mechanism-based chemotherapeutic agents and monitoring the distribution of these agents in cells and tissues by novel mass spectrometric methods.
5. Synthesis of molecules to study protein folding and catalyst design and use of proteins in organic solvent to make new materials.

Research in the department employs a broad range of techniques such as x-ray crystallography and high field NMR, laser flash photolysis methods, confocal microscopy, patch clamp methods, accelerator mass spectrometry, as well as purely computational methods. The synthesis of molecules and quantitative analysis provide the underpinnings of all studies.

Members of the biological chemistry groups also work in collaboration with other departments, labs, and centers including the Center for Magnetic Resonance, the Whitehead Institute, the Department of Biology, and the Biological Engineering Division.

Arup K. Chakraborty Chakraborty Research Group		Room E19-502c (617) 253-3890 arupc@mit.edu Fax: (617) 258-5766		Physical Biological
Catherine L. Drennan Drennan Research Group		Room 68-680 (617) 253-5622 cdrennan@mit.edu Fax: (617) 258-7847		Biological Inorganic Physical Environmental
John M. Essigmann Essigmann Research Group		Room 56-669B (617) 253-6227 jessig@mit.edu Fax: (617) 258-8676		Biological
Robert G. Griffin Griffin Research Group		Room NW14-5113/6-229 (617) 253-5597 griffin@ccnmr.mit.edu Fax: (617) 253-7030		Physical Biological
Barbara Imperiali Imperiali Research Group		Room 68-380 (617) 253-1838 imper@mit.edu Fax: (617) 452-2419		Organic Biological
Alexander M. Klibanov		Room 56-579 (617) 253-3556 klibanov@mit.edu Fax: (617) 252-1609		Biological Organic Materials Nanoscience
Stephen J. Lippard Lippard Research Group		Room 18-498 (617) 253-1892 lippard.mit.edu Fax: (617) 258-8150		Inorganic Biological Environmental
Elizabeth M. Nolan Nolan Research Group		Room 16-573B (617) 452-2495 lnolan@mit.edu Fax: (617) 324-0505		Inorganic Biological
Brad L. Pentelute Pentelute Research Group		Room 18-596 (617) 324-0180 blp@mit.edu		Biological Organic
Matthew D. Shoulders Shoulders Research Group		Room 16-573A (617) 452-3525 mshoulde@mit.edu		Biological Organic
JoAnne Stubbe Stubbe Research Group		Room 18-598 (617) 253-1814 stubbe@mit.edu Fax: (617) 258-7247		Biological Organic
Steven R. Tannenbaum Tannenbaum Research Group		Room 56-731A (617) 253-3729 srt@mit.edu Fax: (617) 252-1787		Biological
Alice Y. Ting Ting Research Group		Room 18-496 (617) 452-2021 ating@mit.edu Fax: (617) 258-8150		Biological Nanoscience Organic Physical