郭敏豪
Associate Professor | Department of Biochemistry&Molecular Biology | Michigan State University
Research Interests
The research in our lab revolves around studies of the molecular roles of post-translational modifications of proteins, and more importantly, the mechanisms employed by these modifications to exert their biological functions.
Current research projects fall into one of three areas:
1. Chromatin dynamics and regulation of nuclear activities.
Chromatin is a dynamic structure that not only organizes the genome, but also contributes significantly to the regulation and execution of a variety of nuclear activities, including cell cycle control and transcriptional regulation.
2. Post-translational modifications and protein functions.
Post-translational modifications (PTM) are chemical changes made to proteins after they are synthesized. PTMs may alter the underlying protein's structure, function, and ability to interact with other proteins, metabolites, or biomolecules. Thus, the repertoire of proteome expands drastically when PTMs are considered. In fact, PTMs are essential and integral components of comprehensive proteomes.
3. Lipid metabolism in a model microalga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
The third-generation biofuel production focuses on using microalgae as the vehicle for biofuel production. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a model photosynthetic microalgae with which basic research on lipid metabolism can be applied to other microalgae for biofuel production. Using our expertise and experiences on yeast genetics, biochemistry, and molecular biology, we collaborate with Dr. Christoph Benning to identify means of increasing the lipid content of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. In addition, we also collaborate with Dr. Barry William's group to use evolutionary approach to create yeast strains that are able to express higher amounts of lipids that might be suitable for biofuel use.