Laboratory goals

The focus of the research in this NIH-funded laboratory is on ion channel structure, ion-channel lipid interactions and ion-channel related disorders. Our long range goals are focused on:  (1) the structure function relationships of nicotinic receptors, (2), the role of lipid-protein interaction on acetylcholine receptor function,  (3) the question of how genetically abnormal ion channels give rise to neurodegeneration, (4) the regulation of neuronal nicotinic receptor assembly and oligomerization and (5) studies towards a high-resolution structure of the Torpedo AChR.   It is our hope that these efforts might identify potential therapeutic targets, or channel-blocking agents that might benefit a broader range of neurodegenerative disorders.

To accomplish these goals a wide array of techniques are employed in the laboratory and with collaborators, including: confocal imaging, protein chemistry, as well as molecular biological and electrophysiological techniques.