Adhesion molecules: Under normal circumstances, white blood cells (leukocytes) continuously circulate the blood vessels, patrolling the body for signs of injury and infection. Such immune surveillance kicks into immediate action when tissue, damaged or colonized by disease causing microbes, is discovered by these professional warrior cells. Leukocytes are first drawn from the flowing blood to the sides of those blood vessels that have detected a nearby problem. This "alluring" is carried out by a series of overlapping adhesive interactions that occur between the leukocyte receptors and the distress-signaling ligands newly expressed on the surface of damage-activated endothelial cells. Once in the vicinity of the troubled site, the previously non-adherent, round leukocytes attach to the blood vessel wall, metamorphose into a sticky, flat and motile cell type, leave the blood stream and migrate into the compromised tissue. There they mop up the cellular debris, foreign substances and chemically attack any invaders. While very rapid and often effective in eliminating the invading microorganisms, this mode of defense all too often gets out of hand, causing more harm than good. In fact, tissue damage caused by such inflammatory overreaction accounts for hundreds of thousands of deaths in the US annually. It is hoped that once we understand the mechanisms of leukocyte recruitment to the inflammatory site, we can design drugs which will interfere with specific steps in this inflammatory process and avoid the currently deadly leukocyte overreactions

Immuno-modulation: Our research has recently focused on the role of leukocyte adhesion molecules in inflammatory target recognition. Elucidation of a specific biochemical mechanism that causes inactivation of the adhesion-initiating receptor L-selectin is leading towards development of novel anti-inflammatory drugs. This biochemical model additionally predicts that several widely used pesticides and pollutants will cause profound immuno-suppression and perhaps infertility. Surprising implications of this model, including the potential to interfere with the HIV entry into lymphocytes, are being explored at the theoretical level.

Pathogen Detection: A collaborative project with microbiologist Dr. Kieft in our department and numerous other investigators at Yale University School of Medicine, Pacific Northwestern National Laboratories, Battelle, Oak Ridge National Laboratories, BioStar and Becton-Dickinson (BD), was recently funded by the Office of Naval Research. This Pathogen Detection Program will utilize hybrid technologies to develop an ultra sensitive means for detecting pathogenic organisms in  the environment. It is envisioned that automated  microarray and immuno-PCR technologies will sense and identify relevant virulence factors in the water air and food supply well before pathogens are abundant enough to cause disease. 

CO2 Sequestration: An average fossil-fuel burning power plant releases about 300kg of CO2 into the atmosphere each second. This gas accumulates and contributes to the global warming. A method for non-atmospheric CO2 storage is urgently needed. Carbonic anhydrase is a ubiquitous enzyme that is capable of  hydrating CO2 and forming bicarbonate. Under correct conditions, and in the presence of a counter ion such as calcium, calcium carbonate (limestone), is formed. Limestone is  a permanent, non-toxic form of sequestered CO2. In collaboration with Dr. Gillian Bond in in the Materials Engineering department here at NM Tech, we are developing a bio-mimetic approach to CO2 sequestration. Human carbonic anhydrase, overexpressed in E.Coli,  is being explored for its applications in the control of CO2 emissions from power plants, as well as for pH maintenance in sewage plants.