Research Focus

Our lab investigates bioactive peptides, lipids, and lipid-interacting proteins. We seek to uncover how their structures, dynamics, and interactions give rise to biological function and mechanisms of action. We use these fundamental insights to discover new bioactive substances and mechanistic strategies that improve human health. We are passionate about transdisciplinary collaborations that bridge our fundamental science with clinical and community-based efforts that improve human health and well-being.

Research Interests

• Membrane-active peptide structure and function
• Peptide–membrane interactions
• Biophysical characterization of peptides
• Therapeutic peptide engineering
• Structure–function relationships
• Spectroscopic studies of biomolecules

Experimental Processes and Techniques

Our laboratory combines a broad range of biochemical and biophysical techniques to investigate structure-dynamics-function relationships and mechanisms of action in lipid-interacting peptides and proteins.

Representative techniques include:

• Peptide purification and identification
• Protein expression and purification
• Membrane binding and interaction studies
• Biochemical and structural data analysis
• Liposome-based membrane assays
• Bioactivity assays (e.g., antimicrobial susceptibility; antioxidant potency; cytotoxicity)
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy
• Circular Dichroism (CD) Spectroscopy
• High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
• Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Collaborators

The Cotten Group highly values collaborative research that advances our understanding of promising bioactive substances and their applications in biology and medicine. By partnering with researchers across Oregon State University and other institutions, we combine complementary expertise in biochemistry, biophysics, structural biology, microbiology, and protein/peptide/lipid science.