Structural basis of gating in hERG potassium ion channel proteins

该项目旨在使用冷冻电子显微镜来确定离子通道的打开、关闭和失活状态的原子分辨结构，该离子通道对调节心脏和大脑的活动至关重要。这项工作将为离子通道蛋白如何利用电化学能量来机械打开和关闭调节穿过细胞膜的离子流动的门提供基本的见解。电信号在生物学中普遍存在，但在大脑和心脏中尤其重要，因为离子通道是心血管和精神疾病的重要治疗靶点。

This project aims to use cryo-electron microscopy to determine atomic resolution structures of open, closed and inactivated states of an ion channel important for regulating activity in the heart and the brain. This work will provide fundamental insights into how ion channel proteins utilise electrochemical energy to mechanically open and close gates that regulate ion flow across cell membranes. Electrical signalling is ubiquitous in biology but is of particular importance in the brain and heart where ion channels are important therapeutic targets for cardiovascular and psychiatric diseases.