Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
Denard Research Group
Led by Carl Denard · Chemical Engineering
What we study
The Denard Lab studies proteases, enzymes that break proteins, to develop new ways to diagnose and treat diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. They use protein engineering to redesign these enzymes for targeted drug development.
What working here is like
- Wet lab
- Computational
- Yeast
- No organisms (data only)
- Cells in a dish
- Coding required
- Projects
- 5
- Papers
- 5
Current projects
Massively Parallel Coevolution of Proteases and Their Substrates
Researching how proteases interact with proteins to design new therapeutic enzymes.
Protease Engineering with Reactant Residence Time Control
The team created a platform (PERRC) that lets researchers change the ratio of selection and counter‑selection substrates to push proteases toward higher specificity; using it they evolved a Tobacco Etch Virus protease variant that prefers a new substrate 65‑fold over its native one and plan to apply the method to disease‑relevant enzymes.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 496
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Project Using a High-Throughput System to Discover and Characterize Proteases
The lab develops a yeast‑based system called HARP to find nanobody inhibitors for proteases. Students will screen a nanobody library against the protease TEVp, sort cells by fluorescence, and measure inhibition using biolayer interferometry and FRET assays.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 446
A High-Throughput Computational Investigation of Protein-Polymer Bioconjugates with Molecular Dynamics Simulation
The lab uses computer simulations to see how attaching a plastic chain to a protein changes its shape and stability. Students run long simulations and analyze how the protein behaves.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 170
Development of a Yeast Model of α-Synuclein Toxicity for Continuous Evolution of α-Synuclein Cleaving Enzymes
The lab builds a yeast system that shows how the Parkinson’s‑related protein α‑synuclein harms cells, then tests candidate enzymes that might break it down, using a continuous evolution method to improve those enzymes.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 117
Summaries are written by AI in plain language from public symposium abstracts and may be imperfect.
Recent papers, explained
- Rational Development of Recombinant Elastin‐Like Peptide Bolaamphiphiles for the Controlled Construction of Multifunctionalized Globular Protein Vesicles
2026 · ChemSystemsChem
Creates globular protein vesicles using elastin-like peptide bolaamphiphiles for controlled assembly.
- Photothermal Recycling Biosensing for Continuous, Sensitive Molecular Quantification
2026 · ACS Sensors
Develops a photothermal recycling method for continuous, sensitive molecular detection.
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- Structure and Function of Archaeal SRP54 Protein Mutants Associated with Human Severe Congenital Neutropenia
2026 · ACS Omega
Finds high-resolution structures of SRP54 protein mutants linked to severe neutropenia in humans.
- The expanding role of protease therapeutics (2012–2026): from replacement therapies to immune system modulation and beyond
2026 · Biochemical Journal
Reviews how protease therapies have evolved from replacement treatments to immune system modulation.
- A yeast model for the functional analysis of SRP54 mutations associated with severe congenital neutropenia
2026 · FEBS Journal
Builds a yeast model to study SRP54 mutations linked to severe congenital neutropenia.
Plain-language summaries are AI-written and reviewed by us; check the paper for details.
How to reach out
Carl Denard hasn't set up this page yet. Their UF Scholars profile lists their publications.