In the Kung Lab, our aim is to gain molecular insight into the function of enzymes by determining and examining their three-dimensional structures. By studying enzyme structures using X-ray crystallography while interrogating their functions with complementary biochemical techniques, we can develop a chemical understanding of enzyme catalysis.
Enzyme systems of particular interest in the Kung Lab include those that are involved in the biosynthesis of molecules that are useful to society, such as drug or biofuel compounds. Armed with a deep awareness of how an enzyme’s structure dictates its function, we may even attempt to engineer the enzyme in order to alter its function, allowing us to design modified enzymes that are tailor-made to possess enhanced functionality or to produce more desirable drugs or biofuels.
The lab collects X-ray diffraction data at synchrotron lightsource facilities, including the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory.
Our research is funded by the National Institutes of Health (GM116029) and Bryn Mawr College.
