| Introduction: The Department was founded in 1987. Interest in structure, function and inhibition of avian and mammalian retroviral proteases, the HIV protease namely, permitted an early involvement in the rational design of anti-AIDS drugs. Instrumental for this has been the capacity to supply the required recombinant proteins in quality and quantity suitable for x-ray structural studies. The protein crystallography proper has been carried out at the Department since late nineties with a new home diffraction station. The "flag projects" include elucidation of structural basis of non-active-site inhibition of the HIV protease by monoclonal antibodies directed to the enzyme flap and subunit dimerization regions as well as elucidation of structural basis of subtleties of the HIV protease drug resistance. Protein crystallography studies have further diversified also to solving structures of other proteins of pathogenic importance. Last but not least, the Department is involved in certain more "mundane" projects, e.g. development of production protocols for recombinant-protein antigens or recombinant forms of antibodies intended for clinical use. |
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Last modified: 3.06.2008, Pavlina Rezacova