Walter Chazin

Randika “Randy” Perera, PhD, left, Wenhan Zhu, PhD, Walter Chazin, PhD, Luisella Spiga, PhD, Ryan Fansler and colleagues discovered that beneficial bacteria in the gut impact the competition that occurs between host cells and pathogens for the essential nutrient iron. (photo by Erin O. Smith)
October 27, 2023

Study discovers role for gut bacteria in host-pathogen competition for nutrients

Vanderbilt research shows that commensal gut microbes impact the host-pathogen competition for iron and has implications for therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing pathogens from acquiring essential nutrients.

By Leigh MacMillan
January 17, 2019

DNA’s on/off switch

DNA-binding “switches” represent a fundamentally new method of communication between DNA-processing enzymes, Vanderbilt researchers propose.

By Bill Snyder
April 6, 2018

New view of the heartbeat

Structural views of the proteins that regulate the heartbeat may help improve existing treatments for cardiac arrhythmias.

By Sanjay Mishra
December 5, 2017

DNA damage repair: molecular insights

Structural details about a protein involved in the repair of damaged DNA provide insight into xeroderma pigmentosum disorders, which are characterized by increased risk for skin cancer.

By VUMC News and Communications
June 12, 2017

Repriming replication roadblocks

New findings shed light on how enzymes that replicate DNA skip over mutations that might cause cancer and restart DNA synthesis further away.

By Sanjay Mishra
February 23, 2017

Team identifies ‘switch’ involved in DNA replication  

DNA replication is an extraordinarily complex multi-step process that makes copies of the body’s genetic blueprint. It is necessary for growth and essential to life. Now researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Vanderbilt University have found evidence that one of those steps may involve the telephone-like transmission of electrical signals regulated by a chemical “switch.”

By Bill Snyder
November 3, 2016

VUMC investigators find pathogens work together to infect host

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus — two pathogens that frequently co-infect the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis — appear to cooperate with each other, Vanderbilt investigators have discovered. When pseudomonas is starved for metal by the host, it shuts down the production of factors that would normally kill staph, promoting a co-infection.
By Leigh MacMillan
October 22, 2015

Chazin honored with international biophysics award

Walter Chazin, Ph.D., director of the Vanderbilt Center for Structural Biology, is a recipient of a 2016 Fellow of the Biophysical Society award.
By Bill Snyder
July 30, 2015

Study sheds light on crucial DNA binding protein

Researchers at Vanderbilt University have established the molecular basis for the function of Replication Protein A (RPA), a DNA binding protein that is a crucial “scaffold” for genome replication, response to damage and repair.
By Bill Snyder
February 26, 2015

Center for Structural Biology symposium to feature stellar lineup

The Vanderbilt University Department of Biochemistry will host a two-day symposium March 6-7 to honor the 60th birthday of Walter Chazin, Ph.D., director of the Center for Structural Biology.
By VUMC News and Communications
May 23, 2014

Repair protein’s DNA recognition motif

Insights into the workings of DNA damage response proteins such as SMARCAL1 could suggest new ways to improve genome integrity and prevent cancer.
By Leigh MacMillan
February 21, 2013

Antibacterial protein’s molecular workings revealed

Vanderbilt investigators report new insights to the workings of calprotectin, an immune system protein that “starves” bacterial pathogens of the metal nutrients they require.
By Leigh MacMillan
February 7, 2013

Study tracks genes involved in heart rhythm disorders

A team led by Vanderbilt University investigators has discovered two new genes — both coding for the signaling protein calmodulin — associated with severe early-onset disorders of heart rhythm.
By Leigh MacMillan