UD - Chemistry and Biochemistry
Brian J. Bahnson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of Delaware
312 Drake Hall
Newark DE 19716-2522
Phone: (302) 831-0786
FAX: (302) 831-6335
E-Mail: bahnson@udel.edu
Web Site: http://www.udel.edu/chem/bahnson/
Education:
Ph.D., Chemistry, Brown University, 1991
B.S. Chemistry, B.S. Biochemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 1986
Research Interests:
Dr. Bahnson and his research team are pursuing the structural determination of the mechanisms of several classes of enzymes with a range of project goals such as: developing structural mimics of interfacially bound membrane proteins, engineering organophosphate hydrolysis activity in enzymes, exploring protein motions linked to catalysis, enzyme-substrate complexes of enzymes, and structurally aided design of enzyme inhibitors. This work entails solving de novo structures of medically significant enzymes and taking the new structures a step further in a quest to elucidate each enzyme's mechanism.
This research is aimed at providing insights into general questions: how do precise interactions of all the active site side chains, metal ions, bound water molecules and intermediates contribute to catalysis? what does the transition state look like for a chemical step between two observable enzyme-intermediate structures? and how do evolved ordered motions of the entire enzyme play a part in catalysis?
After earning his Ph.D. from Brown University, Dr. Bahnson served as a NIH post doctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. He then ventured into the field of structural biology during a second post doctoral fellowship at Brandeis University before coming to the University of Delaware in 1998.