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About Mahalakshmi's Research Interests 


I study the folding, function, and regulation of the human mitochondrial metabolite flux protein VDAC, the core translocase protein Tom40, and the mitochondrial outer membrane chaperone Sam50 as well as its bacterial homolog BamA. I use biophysical tools, spectroscopic techniques, and single-molecule ensemble studies to characterize membrane proteins at the molecular level. The overarching goal of my research is to develop feasible translational strategies targeted at cancer, neurodegeneration, and bacterial infections using membrane proteins.

 The following are the thrust areas of the research in my laboratory:

1. We correlate the folding of VDAC, TOM, SAM, and BAM with their function and regulation at the molecular level using in vitro methods in membranes and in vivo methods.

2. We elicit molecular details of TOM-assisted VDAC import, SAM-assisted VDAC assembly, and consequences of misfolding in the cell.

3. We determine how the interactome of outer mitochondrial membrane proteins with misfolded proteins, apoptotic elements, and alpha-synuclein governs cell survival and the onset of neurodegeneration.

4. We focus on identifying molecular elements of these mitochondrial outer membrane proteins that regulate ROS production in cells and the underlying correlation to cancer and aging.

5. We relate the function of mitochondrial Sam50 with its bacterial counterpart BamA, towards developing next-generation peptidotherapeutics for notorious gram-negative pathogens.



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