Cell membranes are indispensable for life. Consisting of lipids, sugars, and proteins, they function as barriers for cells and intracellular compartments. Our Biochemistry faculty are interested in how:
- Cell membranes and cell walls are synthesized
- The macromolecules in cell membranes interact to form nano- and microdomains
- Cell membranes communicate within and between cells
- Cell membranes sense, transduce and propagate signals into and outside of cells
- Cell membranes are involved in human disease
These questions are addressed in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells using multidisciplinary approaches that include biochemistry, genetics, biophysics, lipidomics, proteomics, microscopy, and structural biology. Our faculty also use animal models and human samples to study how membrane components function in their physiological and pathological context.
