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Kurt Deshayes Senior Scientist: Protein Engineering |
"Although turnover rate varies greatly with cell type, the survival of multicellular organisms requires the constant renewal of healthy cells and the removal of pathogen infected or damaged cells. A critical component of homeostasis is the proper regulation of programmed cell death or apoptosis. Both over-sensitivity of crucial cells and resistance of malfunctioning cells to apoptotic stimuli threaten survival. A lack of death response permits mutant cells to survive normal death stimuli and potentially proliferate. Conversely, excess apoptosis removes cells required for organism survival. Restoring homeostasis by controlling apoptosis is a potentially powerful technique for alleviating disease.
My group is interested in the interactions that control apoptosis and the related inflammation pathways. The current focal point is how protein-protein interactions modulate key pathways that control cell death, inflammation and related protein trafficking. Current projects include work on Inhibitor of Apoptosis (IAP) proteins whose overexpression imparts cancer cells with resistance to conventional therapies. A related area of research is the investigation of how ubiquitin interacting domains (UIBs) regulate signaling pathways.
We are currently using protein expression, phage display, small molecule probes, mutagenesis studies and biophysical methods to investigate the key interactions within the pathways outlined above."