Duke University - Cell Biology and Biochemistry

We are working to establish the rules that govern association of mRNAs with the ER. One mechanism, in which a signal in the encoded protein leads to mRNA recruitment to the ER, has already been described. The identification and characterization of novel pathways of mRNA localization to the ER is a primary focus of the lab. We are particularly interested in understanding the mechanisms of ribosome-independent mRNA association with the ER and why such direct organelle targeting is utilized by distinct subsets of the mRNA transcriptome. In addition, we have discovered that the regulation of mRNA translation diverges between the cytosol and ER and we are working to both describe these differences and to explain their biochemical origins. Ultimately, we aim to understand the molecular principles operating to establish the subcellular architecture of protein expression and to test the hypothesis that the partitioning of mRNAs between the cytosol and ER represents a novel mechanism for the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression.