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department of Biochemistry

Research

 

Research in the Department of Biochemistry is focused around four broad themes:

  • Membrane Signaling
    A major strength of the Department lies in research on membrane signaling. Areas under study include mechanisms underlying store-operated calcium entry, including structure and function of STIM/Orai proteins and TRPC channels, calcium-activated K+ channels, nuclear receptors, and lipid membrane structure and organization. Experimental approaches include high-resolution fluorescence imaging of Ca2+ signals; confocal imaging; quantitative measurement of cellular O2 consumption and cellular metabolites; high-throughput screening using fluorescent imaging plate reader (FLIPR) technology; fluorescence spectroscopy; and a variety of state-of-the-art biochemical, genetic, and electrophysiological techniques.

 

 


Faculty:

Parkson Lee-Gau Chong, PhD

Kathleen M. Giangiacomo, PhD

Donald L. Gill, PhD

Raymond Habas, PhD

Vladimir M. Kolenko, MD, PhD

Madesh Muniswamy, PhD

Brad Rothberg, PhD

William Schwindinger, MD, PhD

Jonathan Soboloff , PhD

Dianne R. Soprano, PhD

 

  • Protein Structure and Function
    X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy approaches are used to enable structural study of enzymes, regulatory proteins, receptors, and ion channels. Several faculty use these and other tools of structural biology, including molecular modelling and visualization, in conjunction with functional approaches that include pre-steady state and steady state kinetics, 1H, 15N and 31P NMR, hydrogen/deuterium exchange, electrophysiology of reconstituted ion channels, and protein modification through mutagenesis.

 

 


Faculty:

Kathleen M. Giangiacomo, PhD

Donald L. Gill, PhD

Dale Haines, PhD

George D. Markham,  PhD

Salim Merali, PhD

Madesh Muniswamy, PhD

Heinrich Roder, PhD

Brad Rothberg, PhD

Jonathan Soboloff , PhD

Dianne R. Soprano, PhD

 

  • Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology and Genetics
    Several faculty are engaged in research on: cancer biology, antiviral mechanisms, cell cycle control, cell differentiation, control of gene expression, mitochondrial function, nuclear hormone receptors, DNA replication, DNA repair, mechanism of oncogene activation, tumor suppressors, and carcinogenesis. Model systems used in the this work include mammalian cell lines and transgenic animals.

 

 


Faculty:

Greg H. Enders, MD, PhD

Nora Engel, PhD

Ana Gamero, PhD

Xavier Grana, PhD

Raymond Habas, PhD

Dale Haines, PhD

Barbara Hoffman, PhD

Vladimir M. Kolenko, MD, PhD

Keith Latham, PhD

Dan Liebermann, PhD

George D. Markham,  PhD

Madesh Muniswamy, PhD

José Russo, MD, FACP

Jonathan Soboloff , PhD

Dianne R. Soprano, PhD

Barbara L. Stitt, PhD

 

  • Proteomics
    The Department has a state-of-the-art Proteomics Facility, which enables the quantitation, identification and characterization of proteins from complex samples. The technology is extremely versatile and is being used in a multi-center approaches to understand lung disease, as well as many other projects.

 

 


Faculty:

Xunbao Duan, PhD

Salim Merali, PhD

Madesh Muniswamy, PhD