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IN THE News

  • Design of Activated Serine-Containing Catalytic Triads with Atomic-Level Accuracy

    Baker lab members published in Nature Chemical Biology a paper entitled “Design of activated serine-containing catalytic triads with atomic-level accuracy“, describing the computational design of proteins with idealized serine-containing catalytic triads which can capture and neutralize organophosphate probes.  This work has utility in design of scavengers of environmental toxins. Learn…

  • Increasing Public Involvement in Structural Biology

    Foldit is 5 years old.  This publication entitled “Increasing public involvement in structural biology” chronicles the power of engaging the citizen science community on behalf of the computational challenge of protein folding.  Learn more at this link.

  • A Computationally Designed Metalloprotein Using an Unnatural Amino Acid

    What if scientists could design proteins to capture specific metals from our environment?  The utility for cleaning up metals from waste water, soils, and our bodies could be tremendous.  Dr. Jeremy Mills and collaborators in Dr. Baker’s group at the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design (IPD) address this…

  • A New Vaccine Design Method To Combat A Dangerous Virus

    In a widely cited Nature paper entitled Proof of principle for epitope-focused vaccine design, IPD researchers and collaborators invented a new method to design novel proteins for use as a candidate vaccines to protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a significant cause of infant mortality.  Learn more at this link.

  • Seattle Health Innovators Visit the IPD

    The Seattle Health Innovators recently visited the Institute for Protein Design, and wrote a nice blog entitled “Crowdsourcing the design of new molecules to improve healthcare and the environment.”  The article provides a nice look into the Institute for Protein Design.  Learn more at this link.

  • Computational Design of a pH Sensitive Antibody Binder

    Purification of antibody IgG from crude serum or culture medium is required for virtually all research, diagnostic, and therapeutic antibody applications.  Researchers at the Institute for Protein Design (IPD) have used computational methods to design a new protein (called “Fc-Binder”) that is programed to bind to the constant portion of IgG…

  • KumaMax: Winner of C4C Recognition as a Novel Oral Therapeutic for Celiac Disease

      Dr. Ingrid Swanson Pultz, a Translational Investigator at the Institute for Protein Design won first prize at the UW Center for Commercialization 2013 Innovator Recognition Event, for KumaMax, an enzyme designed in the Baker lab to efficiently break down gluten within the acidic environment of the stomach, before it can reach the…

  • David Baker at the 2013 Gairdner Award Celebrations in Toronto

    David Baker, Head of the Institute for Protein Design was recently in Toronto, Canada in late October to deliver a lecture on protein design as part of Gairdner Award celebrations.  This was written up in the Globe and Mail.  Learn more at this link.

  • GIVING IN ACTION: Making Dreams Come True at the IPD

    Thank you to our supporters.  GIVING IN ACTION: Making Dreams Come True. Barton Family Foundation, Life Sciences Discovery Fund, Bruce and Jeannie Nordstrom, and Three Dreamers all supporting the IPD. Thank you all for your help in supporting our efforts in protein design.

  • Computational Protein Design To Improve Detoxification Rates Of Nerve Agents

    V-type nerve agents are among the most toxic compounds known, and are chemically related to pesticides widespread in the environment. Using an integrated approach, described in an ACS Chemical Biology paper entitled Engineering V-type nerve agents detoxifying enzymes using computationally focused libraries, Dr. Izhack Cherny, Dr. Per Greisen, and collaborators…