Crystal Vander Zanden, PhD

70% of pharmaceutical drugs target membrane proteins, yet the knowledge of membrane structure lags far behind what we know about the structure of proteins and nucleic acids. Our research focuses on learning about the structure of proteins that interact with membranes, particularly focusing on protein families that are difficult to capture due to their dynamic behavior at membrane surfaces. The broader impact of this research is to build foundational knowledge about protein/membrane interactions that will lead to being able to control cell behavior and develop drugs that target membrane proteins. To explore these questions, we use in vitro biophysical methods and molecular dynamics computer simulations.

A complete list of my publications can be found in My NCBI Bibliography.

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