Description of Research Expertise

The overall goal of Dr. Howard’s research program is the development and application of methods capable of providing atomic level structural and dynamic information on membrane-bound molecules. Embedded in the membranes that encapsulate biological cells are a myriad of molecules that are involved in processes such as the transport of food, the conversion of energy and the transduction of signals from the environment. Despite the abundance and clear importance of membrane molecules, there is a dramatic lack of high-resolution structural data on membrane systems. Her research program works to develop new biophysical methods to address this problem.
The most recent work in her lab involves spin-label EPR spectroscopy of the M2 protein from influenza A. Their strategy for studying the conformation of M2 involves synthetically incorporating spin labels at a series of sites within the protein, reconstituting the labeled protein into lipid membranes and measuring the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectral properties of the labels.