Research News
Clemons Lab
Structures of Bacterial and Human Phosphoglycosyltransferases Bound to a Common Inhibitor Inform Selective Therapeutics
Researchers in the Clemons lab, in collaboration with the Kurosu lab at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, have taken an important step toward designing more precise antibiotics and anticancer drugs by studying two related enzymes found in bacteria and humans. Using cryo‑electron microscopy, they determined how both enzymes, MraY (in bacteria) and DPAGT1 (in humans), bind to the same promising drug molecule, revealing subtle but important differences in how the compound fits into each target. These differences highlight ways to modify the drug so it selectively targets one enzyme over the other, potentially enabling treatments that kill bacteria or cancer cells while minimizing side effects. The work provides a blueprint for designing next‑generation therapeutics by directly comparing how similar proteins interact with the same inhibitor.
Datta Lab
Just the Right Amount: Microbial Nutrients Drive Success and Failure of Antibiotics
Antibiotics are medical marvels that have transformed once deadly bacterial infections into manageable conditions. But with a rise in antibiotic resistance that renders existing treatments ineffective, new agents are urgently needed. Scientists at Caltech and Princeton University have now shed fresh light on why antibiotics that work well in laboratory tests often fail against real infections in humans.
By studying antibiotic and bacterial interactions in environments resembling those found in the body, they have revealed that microbial nutrients, such as glucose, play a crucial role in antibiotic efficacy. Their findings provide a unique framework for developing novel medications and investigating antibiotic resistance.
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Demirer Lab
Improving Plants with a Tool Borrowed from Birds
In a rapidly changing climate landscape, the plants we rely on for food, textiles, and more face a multitude of challenges, including rising temperatures, drought, and disease. Caltech's Gözde Demirer, the Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, uses genetic engineering tools to make crops more resilient to such threats and enhance plant health. Now, she and a team of Caltech researchers have found a new solution to an old problem in an unlikely source: the zebra finch.
Ismagilov Lab
A Training Device to Build Technical Skills and Expand Access to High-Performance Diagnostic Testing
The Ismagilov lab and collaborators have developed a low-cost device that trains and assists people with minimal laboratory experience to perform complex laboratory procedures. The invention could help address a chronic shortage of trained personnel that currently limits the reach of healthcare in both developing and developed countries.
Peters Group
New Hybrid Quantum–Classical Computing Approach Used to Study Chemical Systems
Professor Sandeep Sharma and colleagues from IBM and the RIKEN Center for Computational Science in Japan are giving us a glimpse of the future of computing. The team has used quantum computing in combination with classical distributed computing to attack a notably challenging problem in quantum chemistry—determining the electronic energy levels of a relatively complex molecule. The work demonstrates the promise of such a quantum–classical hybrid approach for advancing not only quantum chemistry but also fields such as materials science, nanotechnology, and drug discovery, where insight into the electronic fingerprint of materials can reveal how they will behave.