SUMIT SHARMA RESEARCH GROUP

We are a molecular modeling and simulations research group in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. We employ molecular simulations, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics theory to understand the behavior of soft matter (surfactants, polymers and proteins) near interfaces... Protein-protein interactions are central to many cellular processes, such as signal transduction, immune response and apoptosis. There are over 10 5 known proteins that dimerize or oligomerize for biological function. Aberrant protein-protein interactions are associated with numerous diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, autoimmune diseases and even cancer. Hence, the ability to modulate protein-protein interactions will help towards finding novel treatments of these diseases. We are employing molecular simulations to understand the nature of these interactions and are searching for small molecules capable of inhibiting these interactions.