Katsuhiko Murakami

Katsuhiko Murakami is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Pennsylvania State University. He holds affiliations with the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and the Center for Structural Biology. His research focuses on understanding gene expression mechanisms, particularly RNA polymerase structures and transcription regulation in bacteria, archaea, and bacteriophages. He employs X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM techniques. Recent work includes studies on SARS-CoV-2 proteins and drug development for tuberculosis.

Dr. Murakami earned his Ph.D. from the National Institute of Genetics in Japan (1997) and completed postdoctoral training at Rockefeller University (1998–2003). He joined Penn State in 2003 and became a full Professor in 2015. He has held prestigious awards including the Pew Scholars Program (2005–2009) and AAAS Fellowship (2020).

His lab investigates transcription mechanisms, structural biology, and infectious diseases. Key areas include RNA polymerase inhibitor design and SARS-CoV-2 protease studies. He advises graduate students like Natalie Smith and George Fordjour, and collaborates on drug development projects.

Dr. Murakami leads the Murakami Lab and directs the Center for Structural Biology. His work bridges structural biology with functional genomics, contributing to both basic science and applied medical research.