Our laboratory is centered on understanding the structural and molecular basis of ion channels involved in somatosensation and blood pressure regulation. These ion channels are remarkable because they respond to a broad range of physical (e.g., heat and pressure) and chemical (e.g., acid, irritants, and inflammatory mediators) stimuli that depolarize sensory neurons to elicit body perception and increase intracellular calcium concentration in vascular cells to regulate arterial blood pressure.
Dysfunctional sensory receptors are implicated in a broad range of diseases and disorders such as heart arrhythmia, arthritis, sciatica, and chronic pain; thus our studies not only provide fundamental insights into their biophysical properties but also contribute to the development of new therapeutic agents. In our laboratory, we follow two main avenues:
• in vitro biochemical and biophysical approaches to study the conformational changes of ion channels in response to different physical and chemical stimuli and protein-protein interactions of channel complexes.
• in vivo approaches to determine the role of bioactive lipids in ion channel function.
We are planning to accomplish these goals by using a multidisciplinary approach that includes molecular biology, behavioral assays (mice and worms), electrophysiology (proteoliposomes, neurons, HEK293/N2A cells, stem cell-derived sensory neurons, Xenopus oocytes), biochemistry (prokaryotic and eukaryotic membrane proteins), cryo-EM, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and pharmacology of mammalian sensory systems (sensory neuron cultures and calcium imaging). Our research will continue to make crucial inroads into the areas of structural biology, sensory physiology, and bioactive lipids modulation.
Dysfunctional sensory receptors are implicated in a broad range of diseases and disorders such as heart arrhythmia, arthritis, sciatica, and chronic pain; thus our studies not only provide fundamental insights into their biophysical properties but also contribute to the development of new therapeutic agents. In our laboratory, we follow two main avenues:
• in vitro biochemical and biophysical approaches to study the conformational changes of ion channels in response to different physical and chemical stimuli and protein-protein interactions of channel complexes.
• in vivo approaches to determine the role of bioactive lipids in ion channel function.
We are planning to accomplish these goals by using a multidisciplinary approach that includes molecular biology, behavioral assays (mice and worms), electrophysiology (proteoliposomes, neurons, HEK293/N2A cells, stem cell-derived sensory neurons, Xenopus oocytes), biochemistry (prokaryotic and eukaryotic membrane proteins), cryo-EM, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and pharmacology of mammalian sensory systems (sensory neuron cultures and calcium imaging). Our research will continue to make crucial inroads into the areas of structural biology, sensory physiology, and bioactive lipids modulation.
