Analytical ultracentrifugation as a complementary technique for structural analysis of proteins and macromolecular complexes

Andrew Herr, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Divisions of Immunobiology and Infectious Diseases and the Center for Systems Immunology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Before his recent move to Cincinnati Children's, he was the Ohio Eminent Scholar in Structural Biology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Dr. Herr trained in Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology at Washington University in St. Louis and Caltech before joining the faculty at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Herr's laboratory uses a combination of analytical ultracentrifugation, X-ray crystallography and a wide array of biophysical techniques to analyze the structure and function of proteins involved in bacterial pathogenesis and the host immune response. For example, they have been studying protein assembly events underlying intercellular adhesion in bacterial biofilms. In this project, AUC data provided the critical clue leading to a novel antimicrobial technology under development for therapeutic use. The Herr lab has used AUC to study proteins that range in size from small polypeptides to massive antibody immune complexes, integral membrane proteins, intrinsically disordered proteins, and complicated assembling systems. They have also worked with biotech and pharma companies to analyze protein samples and help guide formulation decisions. Dr. Herr has authored over 50 published manuscripts and book chapters, with over half of these involving AUC analyses.