Oregon Health & Science University · NeuroscienceBlackburn Enzyme Lab
Ninian J Blackburn · Portland, Oregon
Research Focus
Dr. Ninian J Blackburn's lab at Oregon Health & Science University focuses on understanding how certain enzymes process peptides, which are crucial for creating hormones and therapeutic agents. Their research particularly emphasizes the role of copper in converting inactive pro-peptides into active forms, a vital step for drug development against cancer and infectious diseases. The lab employs advanced techniques to study these complex biochemical processes, aiming to uncover new insights that could lead to innovative treatments.
peptide processingcopper enzymeshormone synthesisantibacterial therapeuticscancer therapeuticspost-translational modification
Research Aims
5AIM 01Explore the reaction chemistry of copper-mediated peptide processing.
AIM 02Analyze the electronic structure of peptide complexes.
AIM 03Investigate the reaction pathways of PHM and BURP enzymes.
AIM 04Study the conformational changes of dopamine-monooxygenase.
AIM 05Identify new substrate analogs for catalytic studies.
Skills the Lab Values
X-ray spectroscopyEPR spectroscopycryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM)protein purificationsubstrate designenzyme kineticsbioinformatics
Output against the department
Publications180top 42% of dept.282nd of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.0kbottom 48% of dept.349th of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.