The Inositide Laboratory

The Inositide Laboratory focuses on proteins that play a critical role in controlling communication between and within cells. These proteins make up the so-called signalling pathways or networks that form the complex regulatory machinery which organises how cells and organs develop and react to their environment. Work investigating the effects of experimentally targeted gene-disruption, together with the identification of genes that are mutated in a variety of medical conditions, has supported the idea that certain proteins in these signalling pathways represent the key decision-makers. These proteins act very broadly to maintain cells in the appropriate functional state and very small alterations in the genes encoding these proteins can lead to drastic and wide-reaching problems. Hence these proteins often represent targets for therapeutic intervention in a variety of human conditions, including inflammation and cancer.

The seven Group Leaders within this laboratory work on the regulation and function of the key decision-making proteins in several signalling pathways but there is a common focus on those pathways in which signalling information is carried by the synthesis of membrane-captive phospholipids called inositides. Further information about the scientific questions currently being addressed by these Group Leaders and relevant contact information can be found by following the individual links in the navigation column on the left.

• Key publications from the laboratory
• Translating the Laboratory's Research into Action