The focus of research in the Bark Laboratory is studying how biological macromolecules and metabolites form the complexes and interaction networks that are critical for development and disease at the cellular, tissue, organ, and organism level. To define the relevant interactions between proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecule metabolites, we employ a multidisciplinary toolkit including mass spectrometry, analytical chemistry, synthetic protein chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, and computational approaches. The combination of these methods provides a unique window to study such diverse biological processes as cardiovascular disease, cancer, stem cell development, and evolution. Additionally, the diverse applications of our research also encourage the development and expansion of the methods and technologies we use. Researchers in the laboratory will acquire expertise in methods and analytical technologies as well as their applications to important biological questions in cellular development and disease.
