Research

Our laboratory focuses on investigating the protein and membrane interactions that delineate membrane transport processes. We are especially interested in the functions of cargo recognition, concentration and targeted delivery to distinct cellular membranes. All transport processes use the membrane as their final substrate for example: fusion, budding, generation of distinct domains and the establishment of curvature. Combined, these functions shape the cellular transport machinery, one of the major systems that maintain homeostasis communication and response to the external environment in health and disease. To understand these processes in detail, one must recognize that protein–protein as well as protein- lipid interactions are involved. Studying the later, namely protein-lipid interaction is challenging since these interactions are less specific and complex experimental systems are to be used.

In other words, to study the association between a protein to its proximal native lipid environment, membranes cannot be disrupted or solubilized. In our laboratory, we combine traditional biochemical analysis with live cell imaging and quantitative kinetic modeling to gather information on the dynamic features of the cellular secretory transport machinery. Experiments are carried out using expression of fluorescent protein tagged proteins in living intact cells using laser scanning confocal microscopes. We use a range of state-of-the-art experimental setups such as: Time-lapse imaging, three-dimensional reconstruction, multicolor imaging, photobleaching/photoactivation–based manipulations and Bi- Molecular fluorescent complementation (BiFC). Kinetic modeling and simulation software is often used to extract values of kinetic coefficients or to perform model testing from the wealth of information hidden in the images sequences.

Publications