Erica Washington

The goal of the Washington Laboratory is to determine and characterize three-dimensional structures of proteins and protein complexes that are required for pathogenic fungi to survive the transition from the environment to the human host, where a variety of stresses are encountered. We perform structure and function analysis of key enzymes in sugar biosynthesis pathways and fungal transcription networks that are critical for the development of fungal diseases. This work has implications for the development of innovative antifungal therapies. Research in the Washington Laboratory bridges the fields of biochemistry, structural biology and microbiology and includes methods such as cryo-electron microscopy, x-ray crystallography, isothermal titration calorimetry and fungal phenotypic assays.