Systematic Discovery of Protein Function
One of the hallmarks of eukaryotic cells is the presence of membrane-enclosed organelles that create optimized environments best suited for promoting the various chemical reactions required to sustain life. Although nearly 30 years have passed since the publication of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome sequence, over 25% of the proteins still do not have a known biochemical function.
Most of these proteins are conserved all the way to humans and some have been implicated in diseases. One of the great challenges of the post-genomic era is, therefore, to use novel methodologies to fill in these gaps in our knowledge, to uncover the functions of these unstudied proteins.
Our lab is dedicated to uncovering novel functions for yeast organellar proteins. We do this by employing a wide variety of high throughput screening techniques complemented by dedicated cell biological, genetic and biochemical follow ups.
Will robots take over the world?
Ofir's Research
Development of a fast diagnostic test for peroxisomal diseases
Ofir is screening a library of fluorescent compounds to identify a synthetic dye which specifically labels peroxisomes. The dye will be tested for its universality and ease of use. Identifying a peroxisomal dye will simplify staining and imaging procedures of peroxisomes for research and significantly expand the diagnostic toolkit for peroxisomal diseases.
Sarah's Research
Development of Multi-CLEM in
mammalian cells
Sarah is developing a high-throughput screening approach (multi-CLEM) for electron microscopy in mammalian cells. The combination of fluorescence microscopy for barcoding of tens or hundreds of differently manipulated cells and electron microscopy will allow quantitative imaging at the ultrastructure level.
Sivan's Research
Uncovering new targeting factors of proteins to the ER
Sivan is interested in how proteins with unique targeting signals are targeted to the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) in yeast. Sivan hopes to discover new factors involved in the process. To do this, she uses high throughput screens of mutant libraries combined with image analysis.
Lior's Research
Discovering New Peroxisomal Proteins Via a Novel Fluorescent Genomic Library
Lior is interested in using new fluorescently tagged genomic libraries for the identification of new peroxisomal proteins. Lior wishes to uncover the targeting pathways that they take to reach peroxisomes and elucidate their biological features and function.
Noga's Research
Uncovering new membrane shaping proteins in mitochondria
Noga is interested in the unique structure of mitochondria, forming a continuous branched network in the cell. Using high throughput screens and microscopy, Noga aims to discover new membrane shaping proteins that enable the formation of this intricate structure.
Din's Research
Advancing Protein Localization in Yeast:
A Unique Tagging Strategy.
Din is focused on advancing the understanding of protein localization within yeast cells. By developing a novel yeast library, a collection of yeast strains in which each yeast proteins is tagged with a unique approach that overcomes some of the disadvantages of big bulky tags, he is offering a more refined approach to tracking protein dynamics.
Dunya's Research
Unraveling Functions of Uncharacterized Enzymes
Dunya is interested in elucidating the functions of uncharacterized enzymes that are only expressed under extreme growth conditions. She is screening for specific conditions that trigger the expression of these proteins, coupled with conducting metabolomics and essentiality assays under these conditions.
Learn more
Discover a unique aspect of cellular biology we've been researching for years. This short film we produced offers an insightful look into an often-overlooked organelle.
Funded by
