How flexible (disordered) proteins sense and shape curved cell membranes
Dynamic Interactions between Intrinsically Disordered Proteins and Curved Membrane Surfaces
Researchers are looking at how flexible proteins that lack fixed shapes detect and respond to curved cell membranes, a process relevant to brain disorders and cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Southern California NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11135606 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project uses lab experiments and computer models to watch how intrinsically disordered proteins attach to and detach from curved membrane surfaces in real time. Scientists will work with simplified membrane systems, advanced imaging, and biophysical measurements to capture the fast binding and unbinding events that happen during cell signaling. The goal is to connect these fast dynamics to how membranes form vesicles and other structures important for normal cell function. A clearer picture of these interactions could help explain how changes in these proteins contribute to neurological disease and cancer.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with neurological disorders or cancers linked to problems in membrane trafficking or mutations in intrinsically disordered proteins are those most closely related to this research.
Not a fit: Patients whose conditions are unrelated to membrane-associated disordered proteins are unlikely to see direct benefit from this basic biophysics work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal new biological mechanisms involving disordered proteins and suggest targets or strategies for future diagnostics or therapies.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have shown that intrinsically disordered proteins can sense membrane curvature, but focusing on their rapid, non-equilibrium dynamics is a newer and less-explored approach.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, UNITED STATES
- University of Southern California — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zeno, Wade F — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Zeno, Wade F
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.