Functional dissection of the TMC1 channel complex involved in hearing

Ion channels are micromachines involved in every thought, every perception, every movement, every heartbeat. My research aims at defining the components of an intricate mechanotransduction channel complex critical for hearing - a half-century-old question that has stymied progress in understanding the various aspects of this protein assembly. The successful reconstitution of this auditory machinery in cells grown in artificial environment will set the foundation for the systematic and speedy studying of e.g., the effect of deafness mutations on the molecular function of the channel complex.