Cell Structure, Function, and Motility
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Hank W. Bass
Meiosis in higher plants; telomere dynamics; molecular cytology; maize chromatin, nuclease sensitivity profiling, G4-DNA, and genome replication. Work primarily on maize. -
P. Bryant Chase
Biomechanics of cardiac and skeletal muscle. -
Jonathan H. Dennis
The biology of chromatin involved in the innate immune response. -
Ashwanth Francis
Structure-function studies of virus cell biology. We use live-cell imaging and cryo-EM to uncover mechanisms of virus transport, virus disassembly, nuclear pore interactions and virus compartmentalization inside the nucleus of living cells -
Steven Lenhert
Biological membranes; cell-substrate interactions; bionanotechnology. -
Guangxia Miao
My lab focuses on complex cell behavior, specifically the movements of cells from one place to another. We use fruit fly as the model system. -
Scott Stagg
Research in the Stagg lab is directed towards two tracks: the mechanisms of membrane trafficking, and high-throughput high-resolution cryo-EM. On the biological side, we determine the structure and mechanisms of protein complexes involved in vesicle trafficking pathways. We have determined structures of COPII and clathrin coats as well as other membrane remodeling complexes. On the technical side, we develop experimental and computational methods to improve structure determination by cryo-EM.
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M. Elizabeth Stroupe
The Stroupe laboratory uses cryogenic electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography to discover fundamental mechanisms in ribosome biogenesis and sulfur metabolism. -
Kenneth A. Taylor
Macromolecular structure determination by 3-D electron microscopy; muscle, cytoskeleton and cell adhesion structure; virus structure. -
Dr. Hong-Guo Yu
Using gametogenesis as a model to study cellular rejuvenation; mechanisms of chromosome tethering at the nuclear envelope -
Dr. Qian Yin
Structural and mechanistic studies on proteins and protein assemblies in innate immunity, inflammation, host-pathogen interactions, membrane trafficking, and autophagy. -
Fanxiu Zhu
Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV); viral evasion of the host innate immune responses; viral modulation of the host kinase signaling pathways; role and assembly of KSHV tegument proteins.
Research groups offering graduate training in the area of Cell Structure, Function, and Motility focus their research efforts on understanding the molecular morphology and dynamics of nuclei, flagella, muscle, and nonmuscle cell motility systems. These groups use a variety of experimental approaches (e.g., sophisticated light & electron microscopy, molecular biology, genetics, protein biochemistry, NMR) to gain greater understanding of the structural components, molecular organization, assembly, and movement of dynamic systems in vertebrate and invertebrate animal cells, plant cells, and unicellular algae. The individual labs are well equipped and focused on graduate training. Graduate students are encouraged to use state-of-the-art equipment in the departmental Biological Science Imaging Resource (BSIR), Molecular Cloning Facility, Hybridoma Facility, and at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory for their research projects.