A strong and diverse group of researchers at Yale study various aspects of cell biology.
Anton Bennett (Pharmacology) focuses on the signal transaction pathways regulated by protein tyrosine phosphatases. How protein tyrosine phosphatases signal in the control of cell growth, cell differentiation and metabolism are studied at the molecular and genetic levels. The information gained from the basic understanding of protein tyrosine phosphatases in cell signaling is applied to elucidating how these enzymes are involved in the pathogenesis of diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer..
Stavroula Hatzios (MCDB) studies proteins that dynamically shape molecular interactions between bacterial and host cells in gastrointestinal infections. Her lab uses quantitative chemical proteomics to selectively identify proteins that are active in complex infection models and determine how infection-associated environmental cues alter their biochemical activity, with the aim of uncovering biochemical pathways that contribute to diseases like stomach cancer and cholera.
Mark Hochstrasser (MB&B) studies at a mechanistic and molecular level how specific proteins are rapidly degraded within eukaryotic cells. Such turnover is central to a great variety of regulatory mechanisms, including many of medical relevance. Much of this regulated degradation occurs via the highly conserved ubiquitin-proteasome system.
Art Horwich (Genetics) studies the class of chaperones known as “chaperonins” that are large double-ring structures that bind many non-native polypeptides through exposed hydrophobic surfaces in a central channel then productively release them in the presence of ATP. A range of approaches is employed to understand the mechanism of action of these and related components, including: genetic analysis in vivo, structure-function and biochemical analyses in vitro, crystallographic analyses, and fluorescence and NMR spectroscopy studies.
Lynne Regan (MB&B) is interested in the design and characterization of proteins with novel ligand binding activities. These studies hold great promise for development in many areas, such as the development of novel bioelectrical materials and biosensors through surface immobilization.
Ben Turk (Pharmacology) .