Recognition & Honors
In the News
Yuhong Wang and Shoujun Xu, professors of chemistry, have been awarded a four-year, $1.26M grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to combat antibiotic-resistant superbugs like MRSA. The research team is pioneering a hybrid methodology that combines AlphaFold AI virtual screening with atomic magnetometer quantum sensing to map the precise shape changes and mechanics of essential bacterial enzymes (EF-G and EF-Tu). Ultimately, the project aims to develop predictive software that can identify drug-resistant mutation hotspots in advance, allowing scientists to design new treatments before resistant strains emerge in nature.
Martin Nunez, associate professor of biology and biochemistry, was featured in Nature for his work on a study looking into why some pine trees grow faster in non-native land.