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Biological Chemistry


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Biological ChemistryBiological chemistry is in an exciting era. The confluence of new biochemical, genetic, and engineering methods allows an unprecedented view of the simultaneous changes of mRNA, protein, and metabolite levels inside cells. The ability to solve structures, prepare novel molecules combinatorially, evolve new biological activities, and make measurements on single cells has provided new insights into the relationship of biologically-important molecules and their physiological effects. Research in the Department of Chemistry at MIT covers a wide range interests and employs many of the most modern technologies. Our department offers something for everyone.

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.

Faculty Member Contact Areas of Research
black and while image of long cai
Long Cai
Cai Research Group
  Room 16-573A
(617) TBA
longcai@mit.edu
Fax: (617) 258-7847
Biological Graphic Biological
Physical Graphic Physical
Arup Chakraborty
Arup K. Chakraborty
Chakraborty Research Group
  Room E19-502c
(617) 253-3890
arupc@mit.edu
Fax: (617) 258-5766
  Physical Graphic Physical
Biological Graphic Biological
Catherine L. Drennan
Catherine L. Drennan
Drennan Research Group
 
Room 68-680
(617) 253-5622
cdrennan@mit.edu
Fax: (617) 258-7847

  Biological Graphic Biological
Inorganic Graphic Inorganic
Physical Graphic Physical
Environmental Graphic Environmental
John M. Essigmann
John M. Essigmann
Essigmann Research Group
 
Room 56-669B
(617) 253-6227
jessig@mit.edu
Fax: (617) 258-8676

  Biological Graphic Biological
Robert G. Griffin
Robert G. Griffin
Griffin Research Group
 
Room NW14-5113/6-229
(617) 253-5597
griffin@ccnmr.mit.edu
Fax: (617) 253-7030

  Physical Graphic Physical
Biological Graphic Biological
Barbara Imperiali
Barbara Imperiali
Imperiali Research Group
 
Room 18-287
(617) 253-1838
imper@mit.edu
Fax: (617) 452-2419

 

Organic Graphic Organic
Biological Graphic Biological

Alexander M. Klibanov
Alexander M. Klibanov
 
Room 56-579
(617) 253-3556
klibanov@mit.edu
Fax: (617) 252-1609

  Biological Graphic Biological
Organic Graphic Organic
Material Graphic Materials
Nanoscience Graphic Nanoscience
Stephen J. Lippard
Stephen J. Lippard
Lippard Research Group
 
Room 18-498
(617) 253-1892
lippard.mit.edu
Fax: (617) 258-8150

  Inrganic Graphic Inorganic
Biological Graphic Biological
Environmental Graphic Environmental
b/w image of liz nolan
Elizabeth M. Nolan
Nolan Research Group
 
Room 16-573B
(617) 452-2495
lnolan@mit.edu
Fax: (617) 258-7500

 

Inrganic Graphic Inorganic
Biological Graphic Biological

Sarah E. O’Connor
Sarah E. O’Connor
O'Connor Research Group


 
Room 18-393
(617) 432-0930
soc@mit.edu
Fax: (617) 432-0556

  Organic Graphic Organic
Biological Graphic Biological
JoAnne Stubbe
JoAnne Stubbe
Stubbe Research Group
 
Room 18-598
(617) 253-1814
stubbe@mit.edu
Fax: (617) 258-7247

  Biological Graphic Biological
Organic Graphic Organic
Steven R. Tannenbaum
Steven R. Tannenbaum
Tannenbaum Research Group
 
Room 56-731A
(617) 253-3729
srt@mit.edu
Fax: (617) 252-1787

  Biological Graphic Biological
Alice Y. Ting
Alice Y. Ting
Ting Research Group
 
Room 18-496
(617) 452-2021
ating@mit.edu
Fax: (617) 258-8150

  Biological Graphic Biological
Nanoscience Graphic Nanoscience
Organic Graphic Organic
Physical Graphic Physical
Andrei Tokmakoff
Andrei Tokmakoff
Tokamkoff Research Group
 
Room 6-225
(617) 253-4503
tokmakof@mit.edu
Fax: (617) 253-7030

  Physical Graphic Physical
Biological Graphic Biological


 

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