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Erkan Karakas

Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics (MPB)
Vanderbilt Center for Structural Biology (CSB)


My laboratory is interested in understanding the molecular mechanism of calcium signaling at the ER-mitochondria contact sites. Our goal is to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying the activity and regulation of key protein complexes involved in calcium signaling at the ER-mitochondria contact sites using innovative structural biological methods including X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) together with biophysical, biochemical and functional methods.

My laboratory is interested in understanding the molecular mechanism of calcium signaling at the ER-mitochondria contact sites. Our goal is to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying the activity and regulation of key protein complexes involved in calcium signaling at the ER-mitochondria contact sites using innovative structural biological methods including X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) together with biophysical, biochemical and functional methods.

Keywords: Structural biology , X-ray Crystallography , cryo-EM , Calcium signaling , ion channel , mitochondria

Research Area: Structural Biology , Biophysics , Cell Signaling