Donald K. Blumenthal

Much of my laboratory's current basic research efforts are directed towards biophysical studies of protein kinases and other signal transduction molecules using fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), small-angle x-ray (SAXS) and neutron scattering (SANS), and molecular dynamics (MD). We are using these methods to better understand the large-scale dynamic properties of these important drug targets and their role in normal cell function and disease.

We have also recently begun to study human acetylcholinesterase, the enzyme that hydrolyzes the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. This enzyme is the target of nerve gas agents and several drugs that have therapeutic application in treating glaucoma and Alzheimer's disease. We are interested in developing better antidotes to inhibitors of this enzyme by studying the conformational dynamics of the protein using techniques such as SAXS, MD simulations, and neutron and X-ray diffraction.