Home Department: Biology
Mentor: Martha Cyert (Biology)

“The Role of Calcineurin on Nuclear Transport Under Oxidative Stress: Mechanisms and Implications”

Calcineurin is a phosphatase essential for regulating the cardiovascular, nervous, and immune systems. Calcineurins interact with the nuclear pore complex (NPC) and regulate protein transport between the cytoplasm and the nucleus. The Cyert lab hypothesize that the NPC is partially regulated by calcineurin-mediated dephosphorylation under disease conditions, such as cancer and oxidative stress. To investigate this, Jaston will implement a combination of fixed and live cell imaging of fluorescent transport reporters, followed by protein proximity assays and cutting-edge super-resolution microscopy. He will also use biochemical analyses such as western blotting and immunofluorescence to elucidate calcineurin’s mechanism of action at the NPC.