The Chromatin Design Lab studies how chromatin regulation is altered in disease and develops molecular tools to investigate these changes and explore new therapeutic strategies. We focus on designing compact, genetically encodable proteins that recognize disease-associated targets in living cells, including proteins that are overexpressed, mutated, or harbor specific post-translational modifications.
Our approach combines AI-driven and physics-based protein design with biochemistry, structural modeling, and functional genomics. These tools are developed and tested through target binding and enzymatic assays, transcriptome and chromatin profiling, and cell-based experiments.
Current projects include biosensors that detect combinatorial histone modifications and engineered binders that block or redirect mutant chromatin regulators involved in cancer progression and phenotypic transitions. We are particularly interested in systems where epigenetic changes drive transcriptional reprogramming.
The Chromatin Design Lab is located in Riffe 447 (496 W 12th Ave, Columbus, OH 43210). We welcome inquiries from students, postdocs, and collaborators interested in protein engineering, chromatin biology, or molecular tool development.