Salim Sazzed, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the computer science department at Georgia Southern University’s Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing, has received a two-year National Science Foundation grant of approximately $175,000 to develop new artificial intelligence methods for analyzing protein structures using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) images.
Cryo-EM is a key technique for studying proteins, which are essential to drug development. While advances have made high-resolution images easier to interpret, most available data for larger protein complexes remains at medium resolution, which poses challenges for researchers.
Sazzed’s project aims to improve the modeling of protein secondary structures—specifically alpha helices and beta sheets—from these medium-resolution images. He explained that these structures are crucial for understanding how proteins function but are often hard to distinguish in less detailed imaging data. “The impetus behind this research is the positive impact on public health and possibly contributing to the biomedical workforce,” Sazzed said. “Seeing biology and computer science combine for that kind of impact is incredibly moving.”
His research will quantify how alpha helices and beta sheets vary in medium-resolution images compared to their ideal forms. By incorporating this information into deep learning models alongside image data, Sazzed hopes to produce more accurate representations of protein structures. “When we feed this information into a deep learning model along with the image data, the model should be able to determine protein secondary structures more precisely,” he elaborated.
The project will involve both graduate and undergraduate students from various disciplines. A full-day workshop will also be organized so that students from across Georgia Southern can participate in the research process. Sazzed noted, “There are many different knowledge areas coming together in this work. It involves computer science, biology, chemistry, and even public health. I look forward to students following the research and exploring these different fields themselves.”
Masoud Davari, Ph.D., Interim Associate Dean of Research at Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering & Computing, highlighted the significance of Sazzed’s work: “Sazzed’s interdisciplinary research, which bridges the gap between biology and computer science, will foster multidisciplinary research in our college—as it is cutting-edge and potentially groundbreaking in drug development to impact people’s lives nationally and globally,” Davari said. “It’s also well aligned with the college’s strategic research plan—as we make the move to R1 status to be aligned with ‘Soaring to R1,’ which is among the transformational initiatives for the University.”
