Structural basis for G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling; development of GPCR antibodies through protein engineering. Current projects:
1. Study GPCR signaling in HEK293 cells.
2. Production of GPCR signaling complexes for cryo-EM studies.
The function of cells is tightly regulated and controlled by cell surface receptors. Those integral membrane receptors usually possess one or multiple transmembrane helices. They can sense diverse diffusible signaling molecules including hormones, peptides, lipids, and ions, or signaling molecules presented on other cells, to transmit signals across the cell membrane to the intracellular compartment and induce complex signaling pathways. We take multiple approaches in structural biology including crystallography and cryo-EM to study the molecular mechanisms underlying signal transduction of membrane-embedded receptors. We also use methods in structure-based drug design (SBDD) and combinatorial biology such as yeast display to design novel ligands including antibodies to better regulate receptor activities in various disease settings.