Elizabeth Wright

Elizabeth R. Wright is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to joining UW–Madison in 2018, Wright did her undergraduate education in biology and chemistry at Columbus State University and her Ph.D. in chemistry at Emory University. Following postdoctoral work at the University of Southern California and CalTech, she was an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics in the Emory University School of Medicine and was the director of the Robert P. Apkarian Integrated Electron Microscopy Core at Emory University.

The Wright lab advances and utilizes cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) technology and molecular biology to investigate three dimensional structures of many types of cells. In technology advancement they work to push the limits of cryo-EM with phase plates, direct electron detectors, and automation. They are also developing tools and methods that help bridge the gap between cryo-EM and other types of imaging and structural biology technologies, such as light microscopy, protein crystallography, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). On the biological side, the group studies how biological systems within cells work. In particular they are interested in how all the components of a cell carry out individual functions that combine to maintain a healthy cell. The insight acquired from this information can be used to aid in the development of novel antimicrobials, therapeutics, and vaccines.