University of Wyoming
Title: Persistence, Patience, and Occasional Luck: Unraveling the Roles of Protein Kinases in Membrane Trafficking
Abstract: About a dozen years ago, the Gods of genetics saw fit plop my lab into the middle of the membrane trafficking field. This came as a surprise because the phenotypes we were studying did not scream of “membrane trafficking defects!” and the initial genes we uncovered were not linked (in any obvious way) to membrane trafficking processes in any system. So began our journey, which has largely centered on trying to understand the functions of several conserved protein kinases—belonging to the NIMA family—in the regulation of cellular processes including endocytosis and associated actin dynamics. Along the way we’ve delved into several new methodological areas (for us), including proteomics and protein modeling, which has been an interesting learning experience. For my seminar, I’ll tell you something about what we’ve learned so far including some bigger-picture take homes as well as details into the regulation of membrane trafficking in the worm and mammalian systems.
Host: Iva Greenwald
