Determining the Structural Changes in Proteins During Staph Infections

Student Name: Andrew Kim

UCD Department: Chemistry

UCD Mentor: Dr. Donald Land

Andrew’s project is to determine the structural changes of the protein responsible for staph infections when incorporated in lipid vesicles that mimic cell membranes.  After creating the vesicles, he determines if the lipids maintain their spherical shape and the protein structure using infrared spectroscopy, a technique that analyzes absorbed light.  This project will allow researchers to gain a better understanding of how proteins interact with cell membranes.