Laura Johnson

Laura received her bachelors degree in chemistry from Montana State University before coming to CU and joining the Pardi lab in May of 2009. She is currently working on two projects involving protein NMR.

A collaborative study of Red Flourescent Protein (RFP) aims to contribute to the development of brighter and more photostable RFPs through the investigation of structure and dynamics of various mutants of RFPs. Fluorescent proteins are extremely useful biochemical tools for probing intercellular events in real time.

She has more recently begun working on an ongoing project in the lab on the Heparin Binding Domain (HBD) of VEGF165 and its interaction with RNA aptamer and therapeutic Macugen. The goal of this second project is to better understand the interactions between the protein VEGF, a known factor in the disease age related macular degeneration, and a therapeutic inhibitor of the protein, Macugen. New insight into drug-target protein interactions will hopefully lead to better methods of drug design.

Laura enjoys being a graduate student at CU where people enjoy both intellectual and outdoor pursuits. When she's not in the lab you'll find her frolicking with her friends and dog, Daisy, in the great Coloradan wilderness.