Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
We have a particular interest in studying signalling molecules and mechanisms underlying cell guidance and nervous system wiring. Our efforts are focused on the structural biology and molecular mechanisms of MICAL signalling in cytoskeletal dynamics. Questions that are currently of high interest in our lab are how MICALs precisely turn their activity on and off, and how MICAL activity sculpts the actin cytoskeleton. To address these questions, we employ a hybrid approach of protein crystallography and cryoEM to visualize the high-resolution architecture of these signalling molecules and their supramolecular assemblies. We also combine this approach with a wide range of methodologies, including protein engineering, advanced light microscopy, mass spectrometry, and cell-based functional assays. Our studies are highly collaborative, with strong links to various local and international collaborators.
