Vision Statement
The USC Center for Peptide and Protein Engineering (CPPE) aims to put USC in a position of undisputed leadership in peptide and protein science by creating functional peptides and proteins as imaging agents, diagnostics and therapies.
Executive Summary
Peptides and proteins are the cornerstones of our existing technology in biological recognition, diagnostics and human therapies. Our goal is to drive a revolution in this field similar to the gains seen when the assembly line was introduced—high throughput generation of new reagents that recognize proteins and biological molecules. To do this, we have established the USC Center for Peptide and Protein Engineering. This core laboratory will be housed in the new Michelson Center for Convergent Biosciences and serve the USC Community to generate new peptide and protein tools. New technology advances in several fields now provide the foundation for high-throughput molecular engineering—creating new peptides and antibody-like proteins that bind specific targets on a genomic scale. Presently, engineered binders do not exist for the majority of the components produced by biological systems. It is this shortfall, that the proposed center intends to address—providing new tools for Biology, Engineering, and Biomedicine. This plan will place USC at the forefront of these new opportunities. The impact of the Center for Peptide and Protein Engineering will be significant and broad, providing new tools to understand biology, drive bioengineering, and facilitate translational medicine.