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Mentor Areas

Students can join our ongoing work, which currently focuses on: 

  • Transport of melanosome resident proteins within melanocytic cells
  • Role of Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome-associated gene products in regulating transport of residents of melanosomes and lysosomes within melanocytes
  • Interplay between lysosome and melanosome biogenesis and the impact of altered lysosomal function on melanosome biogenesis
  • Interplay between primary cilia and melanogenesis in melanocytes.

Description:

Our laboratory studies how intracellular membrane transport mechanisms and the proteins that they carry regulate the formation of tissue-specific subcellular structures called “lysosome-related organelles” (LROs). Specifically we study melanosomes, LROs in the skin and eye in which melanin pigments are made. Defects in melanosome formation cause oculocutaneous albinism with impacts on vision and skin cancer susceptibility. Syndromic forms of albinism are due to general defects in LRO formation, as seen in rare diseases such as the Hermansky-Pudlak syndromes and, as we have discovered, certain ciliopathies. We use molecular, genetic, biochemical, morphological, and cell biological approaches to dissect how melanosomes and other LROs form and how products of disease-associated genes regulate LRO formation. In addition, we have an interest in understanding the roles of specific transmembrane transporters in LRO function; many such transporters are defective in albinism and other LRO diseases, and we are studying how several transporters shape the internal milieu of their respective LROs. 

Preferred Qualifications

Students must have taken introductory biology and chemistry courses, and at least one advanced course in cell biology, molecular biology, and/or biochemistry. Freshmen are not eligible unless they have prior lab experience. The student will assist a post-doctoral fellow, technician, or graduate student on a specific aspect of their research. The depth of involvement will depend upon the amount of time to be committed by the student.

Project Website

Learn more about the researcher and/or the project here.
Marks Lab

Details:

Preferred Student Year

Second-Year, Junior, Senior

Academic Term

Fall, Spring, Summer

I prefer to have students start during the above term(s).

Volunteer

Yes

Yes indicates that faculty are open to volunteers.

Paid

No

Yes indicates that faculty are open to paying students they engage in their research, regardless of their work-study eligibility.

Work Study

Yes

Yes indicates that faculty are open to hiring work-study-eligible students.

Researcher


Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and of Physiology