Dr. Terrence Oas

Biography

Terrence Gilbert Oas is a Professor in the Departments of Biochemistry and Chemistry at Duke University. His laboratory focuses on the mechanisms of protein folding, employing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to analyze the solution structure, stability, and folding reactions of small protein models. Key subjects of his study include the monomeric λ repressor and the G-protein signaling regulator domains, with a particular interest in the biophysical studies that inform the biological roles of protein folding mechanisms. One significant area of research involves investigating naturally occurring cancer-causing mutations, specifically in the RGS domain of axin, which appears to lower the domain's thermodynamic stability. Oas's work aims to develop methods for compensating destabilizing mutations to restore the normal function of proteins. He is also advancing computational models of protein folding to gain insights into these mechanisms as tools for designing new experimental approaches. Oas received his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon in 1986, and he has received numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health, focusing on topics including bioinformatics, protein structure, and dynamics in relation to S. aureus virulence.

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