EXCEED THE SPACEPROVIDED.This is a proposal to renew the NCRR COBRE Center for Protein Structure and Function at the University ofArkansas, which was established in October, 2000 with NIH COBRE Grant 1 P20 RR15569-01. Proteinstructure and function is a central biomedical research area that has great potential for leading toimprovements in human health. The goals of the COBRE Center are to strengthen collaboration betweeninvestigators and allow them to develop promising new approaches to biomedical research in proteinstructure and function. The Center is building upon the unique research expertise of our faculty in the areasof X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and drug discovery. The center willsupport five thematically-linked multidisciplinary research projects involving 8 junior faculty and 5 newfacultywho receive direct NIH COBRE grant support, and 8 senior faculty who provide expertise in a broad range oftechniques needed to study protein structure and function. The Center provides the junior investigators withthe support and mentoring necessary to develop nationally competitive biomedical research careers. All fiveresearch projects will involve a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach to obtaining a better understandingof the structure and function of biomedically important proteins. Project 1will focus on the interaction of thehuman fibroblast growth factor protein with its receptor, which regulates a wide array of key physiologicalprocesses including embryogenesis, cell growth, differentiation, and wound healing. Project 2 will explorenew approaches to determining the structures of signal recognition particles, which facilitate proteintargeting. Project 3 will involve a study of proteins of the extracellular matrix, including collagen bindingproteins. Project 4 will involve the development of new families of specific protein inhibitors as candidatesfor new drugs. Project 5 will focus on studies of the structure and function of membrane proteins. All of theprojects are focused on problems that could lead to improvements in human health. For example, project 1could lead to new therapeutic strategies against a variety of fibroblast growth factor-mediated disorders andwound healing, project 3 is directed towards development of a novel drug-delivery vehicle for theextracellular matrix which could lead to improved nerve regeneration, and project 4 is focused on thedevelopment of improved Pharmaceuticals to treat Hepatitis C and HIV.
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