As one of only a few laboratories in the field of Dermatology with a focus on structural biology, the McCoy Lab investigates the structure and function of biomolecules that are important to our understanding of the skin as the primary defense against infection and injury. Using the latest cryoEM equipment through the Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging (WUCCI) and high-throughput protein crystallization assays, we are able to gather data on protein structure at higher levels of definition than had previously been achievable. Recently, projects have included work on generating predicted structures of proteins found in the microbes of the skin microbiome and nutritional immunity.
