Research at the Laboratory

Our lab uses a combination of molecular, cellular, chemical
genomic and proteomic approaches to study the function of
yeast and human membrane proteins, as well as
bacterial proteins involved in pathogenicity.

Current projects within the laboratory focus on
four critical areas:

1. Large scale analysis of membrane protein
   interactions involving yeast and
   human membrane proteins
   
   
   
2. Protein interaction
   methodologies
   
   
   
   
3. Bakers yeast S. cerevisiae
   and drug discovery
   
   
   
4. DNA helices involved in
   maintenance of genome
   stability

 

Specific studies include high-throughput
protein-protein interaction analyses of the
yeast ABC transporters, human receptor
tyrosine kinases and G-protein coupled receptors
(GPCRs) using a membrane yeast two-hybrid assay
developed in our lab. In addition, we have recently established a novel yeast-based assay to identify specific inhibitors of several key proteins from the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and are now extending this approach for use with Plasmodium falciparum, a protozoan parasite that causes malaria in humans.

 

Dr. Igor Stagljar

Igor Stagljar was born in Zagreb, Croatia, where he received his M.Sc. in Molecular Biology from the University of Zagreb in 1990. He then moved to Switzerland where he received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology & Microbiology, from the Swiss Federal School of Technology (ETH) in Zurich in 1994. Afterwards he undertook two post-doctoral positions both at the University of Zurich, first working on RNA polymerase II transcription in mammals, and second on various aspects of DNA replication and repair in yeast.

From 1999 to 2002, Igor was a Junior Group Leader and from 2002 to 2005 Assistant Professor at the University of Zurich. In 2001, he was a Visiting Scientist at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, where he worked in the lab of Dr. Stanley Fields, the inventor of the yeast two-hybrid technology.

Since the summer of 2005, Igor has been an Associate Professor at the Department of Biochemistry and the Department of Medical Genetics and Microbiology , University of Toronto. His labs are located in the Terrence Donnelly Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Research (CCBR), a new and cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research centre in the heart of Toronto's research district.

 

Lab Group Photo July 2007

Looking north towards the city from Toronto Island.
Click photo for a larger view.