Dr. Danny Chou's research program integrates concepts of chemical biology, protein engineering and structure biology to design new therapeutic leads and generate probes to study biological processes. A key focus of the Chou lab is insulin, an essential hormone in our body to reduce blood glucose levels. The lab generates synthetic libraries of insulin analogs to select for chemical probes, and investigates natural insulin molecules (e.g. from the venom of fish-hunting cone snails!) to develop novel therapeutic candidates. Dr. Chou's lab is especially interested in using chemical and enzymatic synthesis to create novel chemical entities with enhanced properties, and leverages the strong expertise of their collaborators to apply their skill sets in the fields of cancer biology, immunology and pain research. Their ultimate goal is to translate our discovery into therapeutic interventions in human diseases.