Professor William Eaton
National Institute of Health, USA
Our current research is both basic and applied. Our basic research is concerned with fundamental aspects of the mechanism of protein folding. A series of novel techniques have been developed to study the dynamics of fast processes in protein folding. These include the use of nanosecond pulsed lasers to trigger and monitor the folding reaction, as well as single molecule fluorescence measurements. Simple theoretical models are used to interpret the experimental results and expose the basic underlying physics of these processes. The experimental results and theoretical modeling are providing critical benchmarks for the construction of a detailed picture of the sequence of events as a protein forms its native conformation from the random structures of the unfolded polypeptide chain.
A highly sensitive and pathophysiologically-relevant kinetic assay has been developed to screen compounds for ant-sickling activity. The assay uses laser photolysis to induce sickling and automated image analysis to detect the formation of sickle fibers in individual red cells. As a strategy for the most rapid path to bringing a drug to market, the first phase of the screen is to test all U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs.