Sorin Luca, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

LucaDepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences
College of Pharmacy
University of Nebraska Medical Center
986025 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE 68198-6025
402-559-1084 (Office)
402-559-9485 (Lab)
402-559-9543 (Fax)
sluca@unmc.edu

Research Activities/Interests

Research in Dr. Luca's lab focuses on protein structure determination using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance. We are especially interested in the study of membrane proteins and amyloid fibrils that are involved in a wide range of diseases such as diabetes, cancer, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's, and infectious diseases. Because these proteins are very important drug targets, our long-term goal is to provide structural information that will help the rational design of new therapeutics and imaging markers. We are also interested in fundamental processes of biological membranes, such as the formation of lipid rafts and the budding of vesicles and viruses.

Recent Publications

  1. Luca, S; Yau, WM; Leapman, R; Tycko, R; Peptide Conformation and Supramolecular Organization in Amylin Fibrils: Constraints from Solid State NMR. Biochemistry, 46, pp. 13505. 2007
  2. Luca, S; Heise, H; Lange, A; Baldus, M; Investigation of Ligand-receptor Systems By High Resolution Solid-State NMR: Recent Progress and Perspectives. Archiv der Pharmazie, 338, pp. 217. 2005
  3. Heise, H; Luca, S; de Groot, BL; Grubmuller, H; Baldus, M; Probing Conformational Disorder in Neurotensin by Two-Dimensional Solid-State NMR and Comparison to Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Biophysical Journal, 89, pp. 2113. 2005
  4. Andronesi, O.C.; Pfeifer, J.R.;, Al-Momani, L.; Ozdirekcan, S.; Rijkers, D.T.S.; Angerstein, B.; Luca, S.; Koert, U.; Killian, J.A.; Baldus, M.; Probing Membrane Protein Orientation and Structure Using Fast Magic-Angle-Spinning Solid-State NMR. Journal of Biomolecular NMR, 30, pp.253. 2004
  5. Hughes,C.E.; Luca, S.; Baldus, M.; Radio-Frequency Driven Polarization Transfer Without Heteronuclear Decoupling in Rotating Solids. Chemical Physics Letters, 385, pp. 435. 2004
  6. Luca, S.; White, J.F.; Sohal, A.K.; Filippov, D.V.; Van Boom, J.H.; Grisshammer, R.; Baldus, M.; The Conformation of Neurotensin Bound to Its G-protein Coupled Receptor. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 100, pp. 10706. 2003
  7. Luca, S.; Heise, H.; Baldus, M.; High-Resolution Solid-State NMR Applied To Polypeptides and Membrane Proteins. Accounts of Chemical Research, 36, pp. 858. 2003
  8. Luca, S.; Baldus, M.; Enhanced Spectral Resolution in Immobilized Peptides and Proteins by Combining Chemical Shift Sum and Difference Spectroscopy. Journal of Magnetic Resonance, 159, pp. 243. 2002
  9. Lange, A.; Luca, S.; Baldus, M.; Structural Constraints From Proton-Mediated Rare-Spin Correlation Spectroscopy in Rotating Solids. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 124, pp. 9704. 2002
  10. Luca, S.; Filippov, D.V.; Van Boom, J.H.; Oschkinat, H.; de Groot, H.J.M.; Baldus, M.; Secondary Chemical Shifts in Immobilized Peptides and Proteins: A Qualitative Basis for Structure Refinement Under Magic Angle Spinning. Journal of Biomolecular NMR, 20, pp. 325. 2001