The Gellman Group is focused on the design, synthesis and evaluation of new types of biopolymer-like molecules that display stable conformations and useful functions (“foldamers”). Target functions include catalysis, inhibition of viral infection and activation of cell-surface receptors. In addition, they seek to understand structure-function relationships among proteins. The group’s efforts require a wide range of experimental tools, including asymmetric organic synthesis, solid-phase peptide synthesis, high-resolution NMR and crystallographic analysis of molecular structure, protein expression, biochemical assays, and cell-based assays. The group maintains multiple collaborations for goals such as activity evaluation in animals and computational analysis.