Name:
Daniel M Himmel
Country:
USA
City:
Bala Cynwyd
State/Province:
PA
ACS Member:
Member
Local Section:
L304,Philadelphia
International Chapter:
Technical Division Membership:
Technical Division Membership Emeritus:
Subdivision Member:
ACS Activities:
Company/Institution Name:
Career Stage:
Professional
Research and Special Interests:
Let me take your research project from PCR and protein expression right through to structure determination and the early stages of structure-based drug leads discovery and design. I'm a structural biologist with expertise in PCR, protein expression and purification, as well as robotic high-throughput X-ray crystallography with extensive background in structure determination, structural biological analysis, structure-activity-relationship (SAR) analysis, and related computational chemistry analysis, including induced-fit docking of ligands. My current preferred objective is to conduct or coordinate collaborative structure-based rational drug discovery targeting pathogenic organisms.
Some of my work has included structure determination and investigation of complexes of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) with both allosteric and active site inhibitors of that enzyme's RNase H activity, laying the foundation for the development of new classes of anti-AIDS therapeutic agents. In addition, I have conducted widely-cited structure determination and SAR analysis of non-nucleoside RT inhibitor analogs of rilpivirine and etravirine, two of among the most effective anti-AIDS drugs.
My doctoral work and associated publications related a number of novel nucleotide-containing myosin molecular motor structures to chemically cross-linked myosin conformations whose position in the so-called power stroke (or contractile) cycle has been biochemically indicated. Those studies helped to explain the mechanical roles of certain structural elements that facilitate subdomain rearrangements, leading to force generation and muscle contraction. Some of my myosin work also helped to cast light on the dynamic mechanisms of regulation of muscle contraction.
Area of Expertise:
Structural Biology
Years of Expertise: