Research

Welcome to the Strauch lab

We are using both computational and experimental methodologies to understand, inhibit and re-purpose biological processes on the protein level. Our main focus is on how to diagnose, prevent and treat viral infections with the aim to generate new anti-virals and candidates for vaccination through protein design. For that we develop and use new cutting-edge technologies involving structural design as well as pooled oligo-synthesis and next-generation sequencing. While we are studying viral surface proteins principally to understand how we can target them or provide new immunogens, we also seek to shed light on how protein chemistry is involved in making viruses so successful. Viruses and their surface proteins hold the molecular keys for identifying specific host cells, entering them and re-programming them -- much of what we will need to fight cancer.

What does this mean concretely

We utilize a variety of experimental techniques to address our above-mentioned objectives. With the advent of chip-based DNA synthesis we can test thousands of sequences and screen them for their functions using next generation sequencing. This way we can also generate detailed sequence-function landscapes. We heavily rely on flow cytometry as we are display technologies (such as yeast display) to evaluate protein and peptide binding, as well as protein folding. We also use a variety of biochemical assays such as size exclusion chromatography, circular dichroism, biolayer interferometry, ELISA, and more.
For the development and application of our protein design projects we utilize the macromolecular software suite Rosetta. We are part of the RosettaCommons, an international community of over 400 researchers developing and applying molecular modeling and design methodologies. The Rosetta researchers meet every year at RosettaCon in Leavenworth, WA to discuss the exciting science we can now do with computational design and modeling. Expertise with Rosetta is highly demanded in both industry and in academia.

Announcements

We are looking for a research technician(s) helping with our vaccine projects!
Arianne Peterson is joining as a new tech the lab, welcome!
Qingfa is joining our group for her Ph.D program. Welcome!
Dr. Yogesh Narkhede will join us from UC Riverside as a new postdoc in the lab. Welcome Yogesh!
Ehsan, Brittany, Patrick, Qingfa and Shufan are rotating through the lab. Welcome too.
The Science paper using our scaffolds to inhibit Covid-19 is out! We have our own versions using different mechanisms for neutralization in the pipeline as well! More to come soon.
Spotlight article on our work on Covid-19
We are excited to announce that we received extra funding for our Covid-19 projects through FastGrants and Emerging Ventures!