Research in the Anthony-Cahill group is focused on the design and characterization of stable variants of circularly permuted human hemoglobin and sperm whale myoglobin. Engineered hemoglobin has applications in blood replacement therapy, and for radiosensitization in cancer treatment. We have generated several variants of these proteins and are determining their functional and structural properties. Students in my research group learn how to: clone genes, express mutant proteins in bacteria, purify the mutants, and characterize the stability of the purified proteins by spectroscopic methods (UV-Vis; circular dichroism). We study the structures of our mutants using x-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Students are also expected to present their results at weekly group meetings, as well as local, and national scientific meetings as appropriate.
