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Protein Engineering

Ryan Mehl and a student looking over lab samples.

Protein engineering is hugely impactful in the development of new biotechnologies, to investigate structure/function relationships of proteins in vivo, and create new materials. Non-canonical amino acids are not part of the standard twenty or so that occur naturally in proteins, but can represent an altered state due to factors like aging, oxidative stress, and phosphorylation.

Housing the world’s first Genetic Code Expansion center

Genetic Code Expansion (GCE) is a powerful tool with vast implications for basic research and the development of new therapeutics. By optimizing, developing and broadly disseminating GCE technologies, the GCE4All Center makes the use of powerful tools and approaches standard; enabling scientific breakthroughs worldwide. Funded as a Biomedical Technology Development and Dissemination (BTDD) center, via the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, the center is directed by Ryan Mehl alongside additional members of the leadership team: Rick Cooley, John Lueck, Andy Karplus, Kari van Zee, Kayla Jara and Bettye Maddux.

Learn more about the GCE4All Center