Jason MacGurn, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology
- : jason.a.macgurn@vanderbilt.edu
- : (615) 343-4259
- :
4130-B MRBIII
- : More Information/Publications
Areas of Interest: Cancer Biology; Cell Signaling; High-Throughput Technology; Mass Spectrometry & Omics Analysis; Imaging
Member: VICC; Epithelial Biology Center
Ubiquitin is the basis of a complex and dynamic cellular code that regulates many important biological processes. Ubiquitin modification of a substrate has the potential to initiate a number of diverse regulatory operations – including protein degradation, vesicle trafficking, and cell signaling. Thus, it is critical that this code is written and interpreted with precision. In a cellular context, the syntax of the ubiquitin code and how it contributes to systems-level management of complex processes are still poorly understood. The main research objective of the MacGurn Lab is to understand how ubiquitin modifications regulate important biological processes in eukaryotic cells, and how these mechanisms become dysregulated in disease. By understanding these regulatory mechanisms, we aim to harness the intrinsic cellular ubiquitin conjugation and deconjugation machinery for therapeutic benefit.