Ronald T. Raines, Ph.D.

Professor
Departments of Biochemistry and Chemistry

rtraines@wisc.edu

Trainer in the following programs:

  • Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology
  • Integrated Program in Biochemistry
  • Chemistry
  • Biophysics
  • Cellular & Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Biology
  • MSTP

Awards and Honors:

  • 2007 - Rao Makineni Lectureship Award, American Peptide Society
  • 2007 - Technology Achievement Award, MIT Club of Wisconsin
  • 2006 - Henry Lardy Professor of Biochemistry, UW-Madison
  • 2005 - Emil Thomas Kaiser Award, Protein Society
  • 2004 - Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award, American Chemical Society
  • 2002-04 - Vilas Associates Award, Biological Sciences Division, UW-Madison
  • 2002 - AAAS Fellow (Chemistry), American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • 2001-02 - Guggenheim Fellowship, J. S. Guggenheim Memorial Foundation

Dr. Raines Lab Website

Research Interests: Chemical biology, protein design and engineering, enzymology

The amino acid sequence of a protein encodes its three-dimensional structure, and this structure manifests itself in biological function. Using techniques that range from synthetic chemistry to biochemistry to cell biology, the Raines group is illuminating in atomic detail both the chemical basis and the biological purpose for protein structure and protein function. The efforts of the Raines group are leading to insights into the relationship between amino acid sequence and protein function (or dysfunction), as well as to the creation of novel molecules with desirable properties.

The research projects in the Raines laboratory are designed to reveal how biological phenomena can be explained with the principles of chemistry. The hypotheses are far-reaching, and testing them requires the use of techniques and ideas from diverse disciplines. This broad/deep training is appropriate for scientists who want to perform innovative and meaningful research at the widening chemistry - biology interface.

Selected Publications: Articles on PubMed

  • Raines RT. (2008). Jeremy R. Knowles (1935-2008). ACS Chem Biol. 3:262-4. PMID 18484705

  • Tam A, Soellner MB, and Raines RT. (2008). Electronic and steric effects on the rate of the traceless Staudinger ligation. Org Biomol Chem. 6:1173-1175. PMID 18362954

  • Lavis LD and Raines RT. (2008). Bright ideas for chemical biology. ACS Chem Biol. 3:142-155. PMID 18355003

  • Tam A and Raines RT. (2008). Coulombic effects on the traceless Staudinger ligation in water. Bioorg Med Chem. PMID 18314338

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