Our Research
Membrane Protein Transport
Membrane proteins play crucial roles in biological processes ranging from cell signaling to ion transport, and many are important drug targets.
For membrane proteins (or any protein, for that matter) to function properly, they not only need to be synthesized and folded correctly, but also be present in the right place at the right time within a cell. In other words, context matters!
So how do cells ensure membrane proteins reach appropriate subcellular locations where they are destined to serve their given functions? This is precisely the question that our lab is interested in.
The ability of the cell to target membrane proteins to different organellar membranes is essential, and it underlies much of the compartmentalization and spatial organization of the cell.
The long-term goal of our research program is to gain mechanistic understanding of molecular machineries that target and insert membrane proteins into their respective membranes. These ‘targeting factor’ and ‘insertase’ proteins are conserved throughout all domains of life, and they are the main research focus of our lab.
Our Tools
In our lab, we combine various biochemical and structural biology tools to understand at a molecular level how different classes of targeting factors and insertases assist subcellular localization of different classes of membrane proteins.
One of the overarching goals of our research is to acquire snapshots of the targeting factors and insertases in action. To this end, we utilize a very powerful technique known as cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to determine atomic structures of target proteins in various functional states.
To isolate target proteins, our lab is fully equipped with all the necessary instruments and tools for protein expression and purification using bacterial, yeast and mammalian cell systems.