Dombkowski

DETROIT – Software developed by Wayne State University Assistant Professor of Research Dr. Alan Dombkowski is now being used internationally. In August, his program Disulfide by Design was licensed by Novo Nordisk, a Denmark-based pharmaceutical company. The software is a molecular modeling application that can be used to design novel disulfide bonds in proteins. According to Dr. Dombkowski of WSU’s Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, his software has a variety of biomedical research applications and can hasten researchers’ ability to create therapeutic proteins – or delivery vehicles.

“Disulfide bonds confer stability to protein structures,” Dombkowski said. “During the course of research, it is sometimes desirable to insert a disulfide bond into a protein, where one did not previously exist, so as to either restrict motion of the protein or to add additional stability. The latter is of great interest in pharmaceutical research where proteins could be used as therapeutic agents.”

A significant component of biomedical research is the study of protein structure and function. A protein is made from chains of amino acid building blocks. When a protein is produced in a cell the linear chain of amino acids folds upon itself to form various bonds within the protein, providing a unique three dimensional structure for a given amino acid sequence. A protein’s structure is intrinsically tied to its function, so the study of protein structure is of great importance. With Dr. Dombkowski’s software program, researchers can study an existing structural model and identify locations in the protein where disulfide bonds can be inserted, thereby providing additional stability or restricting motion within the structure. Dr. Dombkowski’s software has been used in a variety of biomedical research applications and may prove to be an essential tool for development of improved therapeutics. Dr. Dombkowski developed the software in collaboration with Dr. Gordon Crippen in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Michigan. Disulfide by Design has over 700 registered users and has been cited in a number of significant publications.

Wayne State University is one of the nation’s pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world.