Cell surface receptors account for the vast majority of targets of therapeutic antibodies. While mechanistic and structural studies have concentrated on the ligand-engaged, activated forms of the receptors, little information is available on the resting, inactive conformation of the receptors in the context of cell membrane. How receptors “rest” on the cell membrane has direct implication to their autoinhibition mechanism and preparation for ligand binding and is thus important to the development of agonistic or antagonistic antibodies for therapeutic applications. Historically, the pre-ligand states of single-pass transmembrane receptors have been extremely difficult to visualize due to technical challenges of working with proteins in the context of lipid bilayer. Our research program integrates structural biology, cell biology, and nanotechnology to fill the long-standing knowledge gaps in receptor biology, such as receptor pre-ligand conformation, receptor autoinhibition mechanism, and higher-order receptor clustering important for the activation and regulation of transmembrane signaling.
In addition to the goal of acquiring fundamental understanding of receptor signaling, our lab also innovates new drug delivery technologies that affords combinatorial flexibility and multiple specificity, with the goal of maximizing the therapeutic potential of the newly discovered molecules that modulate receptor activities.
Postdoctoral positions are available in the lab. If you are interested, please contact James Chou at james_chou@mail.sioc.ac.cn
