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 Californica 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 biology and electrophysiological techniques.
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Confocal and Two Photon Microscopy Facility (CIFUPR)University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras |
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Structural and Molecular Biology Laboratory University of Puerto Rico |
Innovation technology for membrane protein crystallization |
 Preliminary diffraction pattern of potential nicotinic acetylcholine receptor crystal. Example of diffraction pattern which is primarily from ice and/or small molecule crystals. However, there are a few spots at low resolution that are suggestive of macromolecules. This strongly suggests that our innovative systematic methodologies of detergent selection are paying off and that a high-resolution structure of the nAChR is within our grasp! |
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Collection of nAChRs crystals from LCP |
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Video shows the first 85 seconds of a typical LCP-FRAP experiment performed in our laboratory |