Edgar C. Young, Assistant Professor
Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Simon Fraser University
B.Sc., University of Toronto
Ph.D., Brandeis University
Office: SSB 7155, Phone: (778) 782-4751
Lab: SSB 7159, Phone: (778) 782-5645
For Young lab members:
Research Interests - Summary:
Many proteins undergo changes in three-dimensional structure (conformation). My primary research interest is in understanding why and how this happens.
For instance, what makes one structure stable, and another unstable? Why do some conformational changes happen rapidly and others slowly? How can a particular conformation be stabilized by another associated molecule? These biophysical questions take on physiological significance in signal transduction, which relies on receptors that switch between inactive and active conformations in response to the binding of messenger ligands.
Almost every cellular process is regulated by signaling receptors, so new ligands designed to enhance or suppress the activity of specific receptors would be valuable drugs for treating many medical disorders. I hope to elucidate fundamental structural and energetic principles of receptor switching, so that the design of receptor-targeted drugs might one day become reliable and efficient.
The receptors that I am currently studying are ion channels which respond to the direct binding of the pivotal cytoplasmic messengers, cAMP and cGMP. These receptors thus link the well-known cyclic nucleotide signaling pathways to the electrical properties of the cell membrane. The electrophysiological technique of the membrane patch-clamp provides a powerful functional assay, sensitive enough in some cases to observe the activation of channels directly at the single-molecule level. My research program uses techniques from biochemistry and physiology in several investigations of ligand-activation mechanism.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS
Opportunities for graduate and undergraduate research study are available in my lab, pending grant funding. Please contact Dr. Young by e-mail.
Other Links
My interdisciplinary interests benefit from interactions with other departments:
Last updated 6/15/2009