Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of signalling pathways

我们身体的细胞不断地接收和响应来自周围环境的信号。例如，免疫系统的细胞通过启动免疫反应来应对入侵的细菌和病毒，而发育中的神经细胞则对环境线索做出反应，在我们的大脑中建立复杂的细胞连接。对细胞感知和响应环境的能力至关重要的是信号通路。 信号通路由一系列生物分子组成，包括蛋白质、脂类、RNA和DNA。它们执行在细胞内传输信息的任务，并允许细胞将它们从环境中接收的信号转换为生物反应。我的实验室感兴趣的是了解信号分子如何协同工作来引发这些反应。特别是，为了在细胞内传递信息，我们努力了解不同的分子是如何相互“交谈”的。通过了解信号转导通路的功能，我们可以解决有关细胞如何感知和对环境做出反应的基本问题。此外，由于许多疾病是由信号通路功能不正常引起的，我们的研究也可能提供对疾病过程的洞察。

The cells of our body constantly receive and respond to signals from their surroundings. For example, cells of the immune system respond to invading bacteria and viruses by mounting an immune response, whereas developing neuron cells react to environmental cues to make the intricate cellular connections in our brains. Critical to the ability of cells to sense and respond to their environment are signalling pathways. Signalling pathways consist of an array of biological molecules including proteins, lipids, RNA, and DNA. They perform the task of transmitting information within the cell, and allow cells to translate signals they receive from the environment into biological responses. My laboratory is interested in understanding how signalling molecules work together to elicit these responses. In particular, we strive to understand how the different molecules “talk” to each other in order to relay information within the cell. Through understanding how signal transduction pathways function we can address fundamental questions about how cells perceive and react to their environment. Moreover, since many diseases are caused by signalling pathways not functioning properly, our studies may provide insight into disease processes as well.