Our work bridges from biochemical to preclinical translational studies to harness the power of glycobiology for therapeutic benefits. All cells are endowed with a diverse coat of glycans, their “glycocalyx,” which represents the face of the cell to the...
Our laboratory is interested in the molecular mechanisms and physiological roles of mitochondrial fusion. Mitochondria are highly dynamic and control their morphology by a balance of fusion and fission. The regulation of membrane fusion and fission generates a striking...
Neurotransmitters, Second Messengers and Drug Action in the Nervous System Our lab studies diverse signaling systems including those of neurotransmitters and second messengers as well as the actions of drugs upon these processes. We have been interested in...
The nervous system consists of a great variety of neurons and glia that together form the components and circuits necessary for nervous system function. Neuronal and glial diversity are generated through a series of highly orchestrated events that control...
Organisms go through cycles of metabolic activity, driven by internal cues (circadian, circannual clocks) and physiologic/behavioral inputs (e.g. feeding/fasting, physical activity/rest). In addition, organisms face environmental challenges (physical, chemical or psychological stressors) that require continual adaptation of the pathways...
We study how epithelial tubular organs – which are essential to life in all multicellular organisms – form and specialize. Using the simple unbranched tubes of the Drosophila salivary gland and the beautifully branched tubular network of the Drosophila...
The Rao laboratory studies the role of novel ion transporters in human health and disease. One project focuses on the calcium signaling in breast cancer. We showed that an isoform of the secretory pathway Ca2+-ATPase, SPCA2, interacts with ion...
Synapses are specialized cell-cell junctions which connect individual neurons together and are the sites of transmission of information between neurons.While the molecular mechanisms which promote synapse formation have been a subject of intense investigation, little is known about the...
The goal of the Meffert lab is to gain a mechanistic understanding of how selective gene programs are recruited and maintained to modify the nervous system during development, experience-dependent plasticity, and in injury or disease. Rather than focusing on...
The outcome of most parasitic relationships is decided by an elaborate series of events involving hundreds of proteins. Understanding this interaction requires the analysis of the molecular mechanisms operating in both organisms and the causal relationships acting at the...