The focus of this Core is innovative research, and its output will be vitally important for Projects 1-6. Core 2 will use combinatorial library approaches to generate novel reagents having cell receptor selective binding abilities. Thus this Core will develop the ligands that confer 'smartness' (biological recognition) to smart nanoparticles (Projects 1, 2, 4), as well as assisting in generating novel biosensors that will be used in analysis of cellular signaling pathways (Projects 5,6).
This will be a 'virtual core' harnessing the capabilities of three dynamic investigators:
Dr. Bruce Sullenger, Professor and Vice-Chair for Research, Dept. of Surgery, Duke University. Dr. Sullenger is a leading investigator in the field of oligonucleotide aptamers.
Dr. Rihe Liu of the UNC School of Pharmacy. Dr. Liu has perfected a powerful technology based on very large libraries of peptide aptamers.
Dr. Brian Kay of the University of Illinois at Chicago, a leading expert on phage libraries.
These investigators are using their several combinatorial library screening approaches develop a series of peptide or oligonucleotide reagents that display high affinity and high selectivity for certain cell surface receptors being addressed in Projects 1, 2 and 4 as well as to work with Dr. Hahn to develop sensors to be used in Projects 5 and 6. Thus this Core has undertaken important focused research that will result in the generation of novel ligands for cellular and molecular recognition that will play a vital role in essentially all of the projects.
Combinatorial Library
