Structural and Biochemical Analysis of Soluble Extracellular Domains on the Nicotinic Acetylcholine

My immediate research aims to understand the structure and mechanism of action of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) at the molecular and supramolecular level. This receptor is a member of a family of neurotransmitter-gated ion channels, responsible for the rapid transmission of electrical signals in the brain and at the neuromuscular junction. The molecular characterisation of this family of ion channels may serve as a model for understanding both the interactions of small molecules with membrane-bound proteins and for the transport of ions across biological membrane and, additionally, the coupling of these processes.