Espenshade Lab
Principal Investigator: Peter J. Espenshade
Institution: Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD)
Primary Subfield: Molecular & Cell Bio
Recruitment Status: Inquire for rotation/fellowship opportunities
Research Focus
Project Summary The lipid composition of cell membranes controls bilayer permeability and fluidity as well as the folding and activity of integral membrane proteins, which comprise ~30% of the human proteome. Consequently, the lipid composition of membranes is subject to tight homeostatic control. Over the past 60 years, we have learned a tremendous amount about membrane lipid cell biology, largely from model organisms because forward genetics in cultured human cells remained challenging. CRISPR technology now permits a direct examination of these cellular functions in human cells, opening up a new era of mammalian cell genetics. Our MIRA research strategy is to apply mammalian cell genetics to long-standing questions in cell biology, specifically focusing on the regulation of membrane lipid homeostasis. Over the next 5 years, we will use genetics to address two challenges. For Challenge #1, we will identify new regulators of plasma membrane lipid composition. For Challenge #2, we will discover the mechanism of lysosomal fatty acid export by characterizing genes required for the assimilation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-derived fatty acids. Overall, these proposed MIRA studies…
Active NIH Awards
- 5R35GM149312-04: Regulation of Membrane Lipid Homeostasis (2026)
- 5R35GM149312-03: Regulation of Membrane Lipid Homeostasis (2025)
- 5R01CA272789-03: High Throughput Screening for SCAP Inhibitors as Pancreas Cancer Therapeutics (2024)
- 5R35GM149312-02: Regulation of Membrane Lipid Homeostasis (2024)
- 3R35GM149312-02S1: Regulation of Membrane Lipid Homeostasis (2024)
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