Molecule and signal transport between cellular compartments is performed by membrane proteins, the doors and windows of biological membranes. The complexity of an intact membrane, however, complicates the analysis of membrane proteins. In our group, we aim to simplify the complexity of natural membranes by reconstituting selected, purified components into a lipid bilayer. Such in vitro systems help to elucidate the molecular details of cellular processes involving membrane proteins.
Major interests:
- Development of new methods for membrane protein reconstitution
- The molecular interplay of respiratory enzymes (e.g. cytochrome oxidase, ATP synthase) and the active role of the membrane in proton transport
- Molecular mechanism of a membrane bound transcription factor involved in antibiotic resistance
