Mapping Protein Structures for Drug Discovery
Protein structure determination from low-resolution experimental data
This project creates advanced computer tools to precisely map the 3D shapes of important proteins, even from blurry images, to help us understand how they work and develop new medicines.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11164505 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project aims to create advanced computer programs that can reveal the detailed 3D structures of proteins. Many important proteins are hard to see clearly with current imaging techniques like cryo-electron microscopy, often resulting in low-resolution or 'blurry' pictures. By developing new computational methods, scientists hope to extract precise atomic information from these less-than-perfect images. This detailed understanding of protein shapes is essential for figuring out their biological roles, how genetic changes might affect them, and how to design drugs that specifically target them. The team has already developed and shared software tools for this purpose.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research does not directly involve patient participation, but future clinical trials stemming from this work would seek patients with specific diseases targeted by the newly designed drugs.
Not a fit: Patients not affected by diseases that could be targeted by drugs developed using this structural information would not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could accelerate the discovery of new drugs and therapies by providing clearer targets for medicine development.
How similar studies have performed: While cryo-electron microscopy is a powerful method, this project develops novel computational tools to extract more detailed information than previously possible from low-resolution data.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- University of Washington — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dimaio, Frank P — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Dimaio, Frank P
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.