How thiyl radicals help enzymes work and what happens when they go wrong
Official title: Regulation and maintenance of thiyl radicals in enzyme catalysis and protein degradation
Funded at University of California Santa Barbara · NIH-11358429 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying thiyl radicals to understand how they help enzymes function and how they can sometimes cause damage, aiming to guide better medicines and safer therapies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Santa Barbara NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Barbara, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $354,155 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM154993-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11358429 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be individuals or patient-derived samples impacted by oxidative stress-related conditions relevant to thiyl radical biology, or researchers seeking novel therapeutics targeting radical enzymes.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals not affected by oxidative stress-related pathways or without conditions linked to thiyl radical biology may see no direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project looks at cysteine thiyl radicals, which can both drive needed enzyme reactions and contribute to harmful oxidative stress. By examining how these radicals are generated and kept under control inside enzyme active sites, the team hopes to map the factors that steer them toward beneficial or deleterious paths. The work may inform the design of new antibiotics and therapeutics, as well as inspire bio-inspired chemistry and synthetic biology approaches. The study uses biochemical and mechanistic methods to connect molecular details with potential health impacts, with a focus on human health relevance. Ultimately, the researchers aim to reveal rules that could reduce oxidative damage while preserving essential catalytic functions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding thiyl radical control could lead to new antibiotics and therapies that target radical enzymes while minimizing side effects.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in radical chemistry and enzyme catalysis supports the potential for meaningful advances, though this specific mechanism is being explored in depth.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Greene, Brandon — University of California Santa Barbara
- Study coordinator: Greene, Brandon
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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.