Understanding and Designing Special Enzymes for Health
Design and Selection of Novel Metalloenzymes for Biocatalysis, Bioimaging, and Genetic Engineering
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · NIH-11130979
This project aims to understand and create special enzymes that could help with bacterial infections, medical imaging, and gene editing.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (AUSTIN, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11130979 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers are working to understand how certain complex enzymes, called metalloenzymes, function in the body, especially those involved in processes like reducing nitric oxide, oxygen, and sulfite. They plan to build simplified versions of these enzymes using protein building blocks to see how tiny structural differences affect their activity. This work will help clarify how these enzymes perform their tasks and how they interact with different substances. The ultimate goal is to design new enzymes with specific abilities for various medical and biological uses.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research is not directly recruiting patients, but future applications could benefit individuals with bacterial infections or those needing advanced gene therapies or imaging.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment or direct clinical intervention would not find direct benefit from this early-stage, basic science project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to fight bacterial infections, improve medical imaging techniques, and advance gene editing tools.
How similar studies have performed: While individual enzymes have been studied, this approach of systematically comparing and designing enzymes using protein scaffolds to understand functional differences is a novel and less explored area.
Where this research is happening
AUSTIN, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN — AUSTIN, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: LU, YI — UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
- Study coordinator: LU, YI
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.
Conditions: Bacterial Infections