Home Department: Biology
Mentor: Liqun Luo (Biology)

“Profiling Cell Surface Protein Dynamics in Neural Circuit Assembly”

Carefully choreographed events are critical for the assembly of the neural circuits controlling all brain functions. Cell surface proteins (CSPs) enable in-growing neurites to identify and connect with the correct targets. CSPs are not all fixed within the membrane and exhibit dynamics that underlie their ability to control signaling events critical for neurodevelopment. Endocytosis controls CSP dynamics by internalizing them from the surface into the cytosol. However, the identity and function of the CSPs undergoing endocytosis remains elusive. Katherine will employ molecular, genetic, and cell biological strategies to investigate the role for these cues in circuit formation.