“The entire cell can be viewed as a factory that contains an elaborate network of interlocking assembly lines, each of which is composed of a set of large protein machines.” – Bruce Alberts
Most essential cellular processes are carried out by large multi-protein complexes. While recent research has improved our understanding of the identity and composition of the multitude of protein complexes in the cell, we have only limited knowledge of the overall architecture and mechanisms of action of these “protein machines”. Our laboratory is interested in investigating the structure, organization, function, and regulatory mechanisms of these protein machines, with an emphasis on complexes involved in cell signal transduction. We use advanced single particle electron microscopy (EM) methods, yeast genetics, and other biochemical and structural approaches to achieve this objective.
