Raymond Esquerra

Biophysical Chemistry

My research investigates the nature of protein function and the molecular basis of disease using a variety of biochemical and biophysical tools. I use specialized time-resolved absorption spectroscopy to determine the kinetics of protein function. In addition to kinetic investigations of normal protein function, I would like to determine how nonenzymatic glycosylation compromises protein function, providing a better understanding of how it contributes to disease (as in the case of diabetes), and how chemical modification, in general, affects protein function. The tools that my research uses are applicable to many biomolecules, allowing for a better understanding of how proteins perform their miraculous chemistries.