Centers

The Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology is home to three research centers that represent areas of excellence within the department.

• Faculty members associated with theCenter for Membrane Biologyutilize multidisciplinary approaches including biophysical and spectroscopic methods to elucidate the molecular structure and function of membrane proteins in normal and diseased conditions.
• In theStructural Biology Imaging Center, faculty members use their investigative tools to determine the structures of cellular machinery at the molecular and atomic level of resolution. Their experimental approaches include X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and electron cryomicroscopy. These methods determine the three-dimensional structures of biological molecules and their assemblies, providing key structural information that guides research efforts to elucidate functional mechanisms. TheCryo-EM Core Facilityis operated within the SBIC.
• The Pulmonary Center of Excellenceincludes faculty members focused on understanding the molecular basis of pulmonary diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, pulmonary hypertension, and ventilator-induced lung injury.