The enzyme ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) catalyses the reaction that provides new DNA building blocks. RNR is therefore a prerequisite in all living cells, and also regulates cellular replication and proliferation. Some antiproliferative drugs (e.g. hydroxyurea and gemcitabine) that are used clinically today are specific inhibitors of RNR.
Human diseases such as cancer have been tied to proteins in Nuclear Pore Complexes (NPC). It has become increasingly clear that the proteins of the nuclear envelope orchestrate many functions involving cell signalling and chromatin organisation. The Hallberg Group is progressing on the path of discerning the nature of the pivotal role these proteins serve.
For many years, the Mäler group has focused on biophysical investigations of the interactions between membrane proteins and lipids - a crucial but in some ways experimentally intractable area of research. We explore different aspects of these interactions; protein structure and, lipid dynamics and their dependence on interactions with membrane proteins.
The aim is to understand the role of nuclear membrane proteins in chromatin organization and cell differentiation, which have impact on aging and diseases associated with loss of heterochromatin and thus dysregulated gene expression.
