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Research: Dean Wilcox's research goal is to determine the chemical basis (binding, reactions, structural effects) for the biological roles and physiological effects of metal ions. Much of his current research focuses on the coordination chemistry of proteins and peptides that are rich in cysteine (Cys) or histidine (His) amino acids, which are potential ligands for metal ions. His approach involves quantifying metal ion binding to the protein or selected peptide sequence, and then using spectroscopic and physical methods to characterize the resulting metal-protein/peptide complex. A unique aspect of these studies involves isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to quantify the thermodynamics of binding.