The Finley lab interfaces the disciplines of chemistry, biology/biophysics, and agricultural sciences. Our program aims to recruit STEM students and trainees, especially those from underrepresented groups, and prepare them for careers in cutting-edge STEM fields.
We examine the structures and dynamics of biomolecules and their binding partners. Our areas of specialization include deciphering the molecular switches controlling chronic disease development, microbial infectivity, and plant protection from pests and pathogens in sustainable agricultural systems. Understanding mechanisms leads to the potential for health improvement and novel therapeutic approaches.
Our lab focuses on the following areas: 1) metabolomic studies of plants, pathogens, and insects in agricultural systems; 2) protein structure and dynamics in health and disease. The chemistry approaches we use include: high filed NMR, benchtop NMR, HPLC/FPLC, dynamic light scattering, computational biology, mass spectrometry, calorimetry, and other biophysical tools.
We are dedicated to building an all inclusive research team. The lab is located at Central State University, which is Ohio's only public HBCU, 1890 Land-Grant Institution, known for training Ag and biomedically-focused undergraduates.