Research in the Meier lab takes place at the interface of physical and biological chemistries and utilizes a range of spectroscopic and computational techniques as well as novel synchrotron-based Mössbauer methods to elucidate metal involvement in the proliferation of diseased states. More specifically, my research program focuses on achieving a better understanding of the reported roles of copper and iron proteins as contributors to neurodegenerative disease progression, cancer proliferation and drug resistance. The information gained through this work will provide insight into the electronic and geometric structures of metalloproteins and their associated mechanistic roles in pathogenesis, which can be used to develop new, more efficacious therapeutic treatments. Students will learn biochemical skills, will prepare and purify proteins of interest, and will gain expertise in spectroscopic methods (absorption, electron paramagnetic resonance, Mössbauer, and circular dichroism spectroscopies).
