REU Site: Training in Redox Biology

Our lab studies how viruses manipulate the human immune system. Specifically, we are focused on how common human herpesviruses infect and control hematopoietic stem cells (the foundational cell for the immune system). Projects in the lab address fundamental questions about viruses, stem cells, and immune system development; and students will learn to use tools and techniques from biochemistry, virology, immunology, and stem cell biology. 

The Franco lab aims to understand the signaling mechanisms by which cellular metabolism, redox homeostasis and signaling regulate cellular fate. Mitochondrial dysfunction, alterations in protein quality control mechanisms and the activation/impairment of cell death pathways (apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy) have been associated with the etiology of human diseases. Energy failure and oxidative stress have been implicated in the induction of cell death, but the molecular mechanisms that link redox homeostasis and cellular metabolism to the activation of cell death pathways remain elusive. Our primary focus is to understand molecular mechanisms of neurotoxicity associated with environmental exposures, neurodegeneration, brain ischemia, and viral infections.

Transmembrane proteins are a crucial class of biomolecules that span the cell's lipid bilayer and play pivotal roles in cellular communication, transport of molecules, and signal transduction. These proteins are embedded within the cell membrane, with parts of their structure situated on both the extracellular and intracellular sides. The Huang lab use single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to comprehend the molecular mechanisms of transmembrane signaling at the atomic level. Redox modification of specific amino acids can induce changes in protein structure, affecting their capacity to transport molecules, transmit signals, or interact with other molecules. 

Dr. Lee's research program focuses on identifying and characterizing molecular factors involved in the homeostasis (uptake, utilization, and detoxification) of inorganic elements and their functional roles in fungi and mammals. Inorganic elements are vital to sustaining all living organisms by supporting numerous biological processes, such as energy generation, membrane potential, and signaling; therefore, their deficiency and toxicity are associated with critical issues we have faced, such as food production and human and animal health. Dr. Lee's group has cloned copper, cadmium, and potassium transporters and elucidated their functions, action mechanisms, and regulation.

A primary goal of the Wilson laboratory is to understand the physical basis of enzyme catalysis and protein signaling using time-resolved X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, and other biophysical techniques. The advent of X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) sources and high resolution cryo-EM provides two distinct approaches for the detailed structural characterization of biochemical phenomena at multiple timepoints after perturbation. With these time-resolved “movies” of proteins in action, the Wilson lab investigates the non-equilibrium structural biology of several systems, including cysteine-dependent enzymes that form mandatory covalent reaction intermediates, proteins involved in antibiotic synthesis and destruction, and proteins that are important in redox biochemistry.