The CBT is structured into seven research groups whose Section Leaders work with PIs, postdoctoral fellows, and students to address complex research goals. CBT provides the expertise and state-of-the-art resources needed to develop recombinant protein expression vectors as well as express (bioreactors/fermenters), purify (HPLC/FPLC), crystallize, and characterize (X-ray and NMR) proteins, protein complexes, nucleic acid complexes, as well as complexes involving small molecule inhibitors (i.e. drugs) and biological therapeutics. The center also has dedicated space for high-throughput screening and target validation at the biochemical and cellular levels (robots, plate readers, tissue culture suites). 

Please visit each section page to learn more about their instrumentation and capabilities.

• Structural Biology (SB, Section Leader: Kristen Varney, PhD): determining three-dimensional structures of proteins, protein complexes and other macromolecules to understand the structural basis for biological function and dynamics to aid in the identification and characterization of therapeutic targets.
• Protein Engineering & Biophysics (PEB, Section Leader: Raquel Godoy-Ruiz, PhD):
  producing purified proteins for investigators, including for advanced uses in other CBT sections (i.e. Structural Biology (SB) for NMR and crystallization and Target Validation & Screening (TVS) for use in in vitro assays).
• Computer-Aided Drug Design (CAAD, Section Leader: Alex MacKerell Jr., PhD): providing computational approaches to speed drug discovery and design.
• Medicinal Chemistry (MC, Section Leader: Vincent Njar, PhD): discovering and developing new drugs for improving human health.
• Target Validation & Screening (TVS, Acting Section Leader: Kaylin Adipietro, PhD): cell and molecular biology techniques to identify therapeutic targets and screens for chemical perturbagens as a step towards developing new drugs and therapies.
• Genomics & Bioinformatics (GB): the CBT works directly with The Institute for
  Genome Sciences (IGS) to generate high quality genomic data and genome annotation and analysis.
• In Vivo Biology and Drug Testing (IVBDT): the CBT works with The UMB Translational Laboratory Shared Service (TLSS) for in vivo pre-clinical evaluation of chemical probes and lead compounds from drug discovery efforts, as well as diagnostics.