Rachna Ujwal

Papers

Total Citations

154

H-Index

About

Rachna Ujwal is a leading structural biologist whose work has significantly advanced the study of membrane proteins—molecules critical to cellular communication and implicated in numerous human diseases. Her primary research focuses on developing and refining crystallization techniques, particularly the use of lipidic bicelles, to solve the high-resolution structures of these challenging proteins. Her seminal 2011 paper, “Crystallizing membrane proteins using lipidic bicelles,” has garnered over 127 citations, establishing a foundational protocol for the field. She further expanded on this methodology with a high-throughput adaptation in 2012, providing a robust pipeline for structural determination. By enabling the visualization of membrane proteins in a more native-like lipid environment, Ujwal’s work has been instrumental in revealing the intricate mechanisms of pumps, channels, and receptors. Her contributions are not only technical but also conceptual, bridging the gap between protein biochemistry and drug discovery. For students and researchers, Ujwal’s career exemplifies how methodical innovation in structural biology can unlock the secrets of the cell’s most elusive molecular machines.