University of Massachusetts-Amherst · BiochemistryProtein Folding and Chaperone Dynamics Lab
Lila M Gierasch · Amherst, Massachusetts
Research Focus
Dr. Lila Gierasch's lab focuses on understanding how proteins fold correctly within cells, particularly through the action of heat shock proteins like Hsp70. These molecular chaperones play a critical role in maintaining protein health by helping them achieve their functional forms and preventing misfolding that can cause diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The lab employs various biochemical techniques to study the mechanisms of protein binding and the effects of mutations on these processes, aiming to find new ways to target these proteins for disease intervention.
protein foldingHsp70molecular chaperonesdisease mechanismspost-translational modifications
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the structural origins of substrate binding in Hsp70 chaperones.
AIM 02Characterize how amino acid substitutions affect Hsp70 function.
AIM 03Study the role of Hsc70 in synaptic vesicle fusion in neurons.
AIM 04Analyze the allosteric properties of Hsp70 and their tunability.
AIM 05Explore the relationship between peptide motifs and protein binding affinity.
Skills the Lab Values
biochemical assaysnuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)mass spectrometryfluorescence techniquescomputational modeling
Output against the department
Publications382top 13% of dept.54th of 402
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations16ktop 28% of dept.113th of 402
this lab
most citedleast cited
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