Georgios Skiniotis is a structural biologist with expertise in electron cryo-microscopy (cryoEM).  Dr. Skiniotis has exploited the power of cryoEM to study a wide range of important biological “machines” or macromolecular assemblies.  His main interests are on the mechanisms of transmembrane signal instigation with a particular focus on G protein-coupled receptors and cytokine receptors.  The application of cryoEM to such systems has also driven him to explore and refine approaches for resolving technically challenging problems.

The Skiniotis laboratory seeks to resolve structural and mechanistic questions underlying biological processes that are central to cellular physiology. Our investigations employ primarily cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) and 3D reconstruction techniques complemented by biochemistry, biophysics and simulation methods to obtain a dynamic view into the macromolecular complexes carrying out these processes. The main theme in the lab is the structural biology of cell surface receptors that mediate intracellular signaling and communication. Their current main focus is the exploration of the mechanisms responsible for transmembrane signal instigation in cytokine receptors and G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) complexes.