Research
Lawrence's research in chemical biology explores the design of molecules that emulate or control biological processes. His work intersects the areas of supramolecular chemistry, cellular signaling, and targeted drug delivery. In the area of supramolecular chemistry, he created "self-assembling molecules by selecting component molecules whose parts carry different electric charges or are either attracted to or repelled by water...the molecules snap together automatically, like a self-assembling jigsaw puzzle." The assembled multicomponent entities mimic the oxygen carrying protein hemoglobin and the cytochrome P-450 family of proteins.
Lawrence also developed molecules programmed to target protein kinases, signaling enzymes that, if mutated, can promote various cancers, as well as neurological, autoimmune, and cardiovascular diseases. Light-activated analogs of these protein kinase targeting molecules were designed as well, in order to "turn [signaling] pathways on and off non-invasively”. A collaborative research program with Zhong-Yin Zhang generated bidentate inhibitors for another family of signaling enzymes, protein tyrosine phosphatases, thereby furnishing "opportunities for drug discovery against diseases such as diabetes, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and tuberculosis". Lawrence's lab also created a technology for delivering drugs to diseased sites using laser light. This therapeutic platform has been licensed by Covalt Bio, a biotechnology company.
