Our lab is interested in learning how cells make and maintain functional proteins. Protein biogenesis involves a variety of processes: Translation of the genetic code by the ribosome, targeting of the translation product to the proper cellular location, and folding into its native structure, often aided by molecular chaperones. We want to understand - at a mechanistic level - the molecular machines that synthesize, transport, and fold proteins. Knowing the molecular mechanisms will help us understand how these processes are tuned and synchronized.
