Structure-based Drug Design is a scientific approach towards drug discovery. The approach involves examining the detailed structure of a protein (often an enzyme) whose (mal-) functioning is responsible for a disease. This information can be used to design compounds that specifically interact with that protein, thereby correcting its functioning. Such compounds are, in principal, drugs against the disease.
The Berghuis Lab is employing the technique of X-ray crystallography to obtain detailed structural information of proteins and is subsequently using this information for Structure-based Drug Design efforts. The diseases we are targeting are bacterial and fungal infections, and antibiotic resistance.