Designing and understanding proteins to develop new medicines
Computational and Experimental Studies of Protein Structure and Design
This project builds free software and lab methods to map protein shapes and design new protein-based drugs that could help people with hard-to-treat or drug-resistant diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11260249 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
I would be learning about work that uses computers and lab tests to figure out the 3‑D shapes and movements of proteins that cause disease. The team creates open-source software called OSPREY that combines geometry, combinatorial optimization, and machine learning to predict how proteins and potential drugs fit together. They design new proteins and inhibitors on the computer and then test promising designs experimentally to try to overcome resistance. The goal is to produce tools and therapeutic leads that other researchers and drug developers can use to advance treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal patients would be those with diseases driven by protein targets that are currently hard to drug or who might later qualify for clinical trials based on these discoveries.
Not a fit: People with conditions unrelated to protein-targeted therapies or who need immediate clinical care are unlikely to see a direct benefit from this basic research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could enable new protein-based therapies or improved drugs that target previously undruggable or drug-resistant disease proteins.
How similar studies have performed: Related protein-design approaches and computational tools have produced engineered proteins and helped guide drug discovery, but many designs remain experimental and require further testing before clinical use.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Donald, Bruce R. — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Donald, Bruce R.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.