Cell Biology & Biochemistry
Inducible nitric oxide synthase expression during the macrophage oxidative burst triggered by bacterial endotoxin. Research at PNNL is focusing on how cells perceive and adapt to oxidative stress and other changes in their environment. Enlarged View
During the past decade, our understanding of the molecular machinery that regulates cell behavior has expanded through novel developments in molecular biology and human genomics. During the next decade, the explosion of knowledge of cell regulatory mechanisms will be even greater, fueled by new technologies in systems biology, computational science and advanced cellular imaging. Research within the Cell Biology group focuses on an interdisciplinary approach toward understanding the molecular systems by which cells perceive, respond, and adapt to changes in their environments. Utilizing the unique technologies available within PNNL, this research strives to determine how information flow is both organized and integrated in cells to promote a range of responses underlying adaptive and pathological behavior. By focusing on understanding interactions between key signaling proteins and networks, important insights can be gained into complex biological processes such as aging, adaptation to oxidative stress, and signaling cross-talk.
Key to accomplishing these goals is the development of multidisciplinary research teams focused on investigating cellular stress mechanisms and interrogative cell signaling. In addition, new technologies and capabilities are being developed which permit a more integrated systems view of cell signaling processes.
- Isolation and Identification of Protein Complexes allows researchers to isolate and identify key regulatory complexes involved in signaling networks and determine how they contribute to cellular homeostasis.
- Membrane Proteomics and Post-Translational Modifications will aid in the identification of membrane protein complexes, determine the role of the complexes in interpreting changes in the extracellular environment, and how oxidative/nitrative modifications modulate cell function.
- Microarrays and Gene Expression Networks allow for identifying functional networks of gene expression and how these networks permit cells to adapt to changes in the extracellular environment.
- Development of Improved Affinity Reagents for Protein Isolation will aid in rapid identification and analysis of protein interactions central to signaling networks. These reagents also provide tools for analysis of the spatial regulation of proteins through live cell imaging.
- Gene Knockouts and Protein Tagging allow for specifically perturbing signaling networks and provide tools for tagging proteins for rapid isolation and visualization.
- Cell Databases and Modeling Networks provide a computational framework for integrating and querying large datasets necessary for understanding cellular responses.
- Three-Dimensional Imaging and Protein Dynamics in Living Cells provides the tools needed to investigate intracellular protein dynamics, interactions and cellular compartmentalization in real time.
Contact: Brian Thrall, Technical Leader