Matthew D. Liptak

Research and/or Creative Works

Current thinking is that over a quarter of all proteins require a metal. These metalloproteins have diverse biological functions, including: oxygen transport, electron transfer, and enzyme catalysis. The Liptak group is particularly interested in elucidating the mechanisms of metalloenzymes that rely upon transition metals such as iron, cobalt, and nickel. Currently, the major thrust of the research group is unravelling the mechanisms of heme iron acquisition by pathogenic bacteria to lay the foundation for future antibiotic development. A second research focus of the group is revealing the mechanisms of metal tetrapyrrole biosynthesis with the long-term goal of designing synthetic enzymes for production of catalysts with alternative energy applications.