Davis Lab

Protein Folding in Cells

My current research involves a specific protein, RNase A and looking at how we can control its functions in oxygen deprived environments. Oxygen is used as a terminal electron acceptor and is necessary for disulfide-coupled protein folding. The end goal is to collaborate with another research team in the United Kingdom who is working with Fumarate. Fumarate is an alternative acceptor found in bacteria and yeast for the transfer of electrons.  We want to see if we can use Fumarate to enable protein folding in the absence of oxygen. Doing so could give rise to new strategies to stall folding involved with cancer or encourage it for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurodegeneration, or wound healing.