Events
Events Calendar
Dr. Sarah Heissler
National Institutes of Health
Tuesday December 5, 2017
Wright Reiman Room 260 at 11:00 am
"Looking Under The Hood of Myosin Motors"
Myosin motors are powerful protein complexes that use the actin cytoskeleton as tracks to power a manifold of processes that produce force and movement in cells and organisms. My research aims to define the molecular basis and the regulation of myosin motors in physiological and pathological processes by probing their structure-function relationships. By applying sophisticated biochemical, biophysical, structural and cell biological methods and techniques, my research quantitatively describes the functional capacities and limitations of myosin motors in vitro. This knowledge can be applied in a reductionist approach in single molecule assays to build a physiological process from its components parts in vitro to (i) characterize myosin motor function in cells and organisms, (ii) reveal regulatory mechanisms of myosin motor function, and (iii) develop tools to manipulate myosin motor function. By combining the power of in vitro and in vivo studies, my research contributes to the understanding of the physiological functions myosin motors play in health and disease and in the development of tools to study them.
~Coffee/tea will be served prior to lecture~