We're interested in gene function. Sequencing the human genome was a great accomplishment. We now know that the human genome contains approximately 20,000 genes. That's a lot of genes! What do they all do? Hutchison et al (2016) tried to figure out how many genes are necessary for life as we know it. Their experiments suggested that at least 473 genes are necessary to maintain a living cell. Surprisingly, 149 of those 473 genes had unknown biological function. In other words, we don't understand the function of almost a third of the genes required for life. If you're a biologist, that's exciting but also kind of embarrassing. What about the other 19,000+ genes that make us human? We still don't understand what most of them do. We know even less about how they are regulated. Clearly, there is a lot of work to do. Our lab is doing some of that work.

 

We focus on brain genes. Brains are important, right? In particular, we focus on genes that control the function of synapses. Synapses are the specialized cell-cell junctions that connect brain cells into a functional network. Synapses are not passive connections. They are dynamic information transfer and processing points that can change strength within seconds of new experience, or gradually over hours or years in response to hormones or aging. This is how and why you form memories, change your mind, and experience the effects of psychoactive drugs.

 

Glutamate receptors are essential for brain function. Most of the synapses in your brain are 'glutamatergic'; messages from one cell to another take the form of glutamate -- a small amino acid that is secreted by one cell (the 'presynaptic cell') and received via 'glutamate receptors' on another cell (the 'postsynaptic cell'). Research by many labs over the last couple decades has shown that glutamatergic synapse strength is controlled predominantly by the number of postsynaptic glutamate receptors.

 

We focus on genes that control glutamate receptor abundance. We have named and studied several previously uncharacterized genes, and routinely produce novel community reagents such as antibodies and mutants.

 

If you want to know what we have accomplished so far, you can use PubMed or Google Scholar to find and read our publications.

 

To see what we're currently working on, check with the people in the lab.

 

Maybe you miss the old longer description of our lab's work?