2007 Annual Report

Dr. Eric Xu Receives Third R01 Grant
NIH Supports Cutting-Edge Structural Biology at VAI
Eric Xu, Ph.D., has ambitious plans for himself, Van Andel
Institute and for the life sciences industry in West Michigan.
Xu heads VARI’s Laboratory of Structural Sciences, which studies the
structures and functions of protein complexes that play major roles
in signaling pathways in order to develop therapeutic agents for the
treatment of diabetes and cancer.
Part of that work includes generating crystal
structures for analysis at one of the most
advanced x-ray facilities in the world. As
node director for the Michigan Life Sciences
Corridor Core Technology Alliance (CTA) and
the Michigan Center for Structural Biology
(MCSB), one of the CTA’s ten core facilities, Xu
makes frequent use of the Advanced Photon
Source, a national synchrotron x-ray research
facility at Argonne National Laboratory near
Chicago that provides one of the brightest
x-ray beams in the world.
Xu and his team produce crystals for medically
important protein targets that are subjected to intense x-ray radiation
and subsequent data analysis to provide the three-dimensional
information needed for structure-based design of new drugs.
Xu is striving to establish his research group as one of the most
cutting-edge research labs in structural biology in the world. The
grant makers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) support Xu’s
endeavor. Since establishing the Laboratory of Structural Sciences
at Van Andel Institute in 2002, Xu has received three prestigious
R01 grants for three different research projects, an impressive
accomplishment considering that the NIH confers an award on less
Crystals generated by Xu Lab
than 10% of all unsolicited R01 grant applications.
Xu believes that Van Andel Institute and West Michigan are the right
places for such a lab.
“When I saw the commitment to the Institute from the Van Andel
family, I saw a once in a lifetime opportunity
for cutting edge structural biology,” said Xu.
“There is tremendous support and commitment
to support fundamental research, the results of
which can be translated into new medicines for
the treatment of human diseases.”
After studying at Duke University and working
in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park,
home to more than 200 research and discovery
companies, Xu knows what it takes for a region
to develop a national presence in the life
sciences industry.
“North Carolina 20 years ago was nothing like
the West Michigan of today,” said Xu. “The
Research Triangle Park was tobacco farms. We have a much greater
head start than North Carolina had.”
Xu believes that Grand Rapids’ manufacturing heritage, and industrial
knowledge and infrastructure give the region a leg up among U.S.
regions currently incubating their own life science corridors. He is
also a firm believer in the entrepreneurial spirit of the region.
“One success can make a huge difference,” said Xu. “And the
entrepreneurial spirit of Grand Rapids will help in the translation
process. I also hope to play a role in seeding that kind of effort.”
VARI Eric
Xu, Ph.D.
www.vai.org
13