Joanne Lemieux

Membrane proteins are key targets for the drug development. Our research centers around studying membrane proteins involved in disease, using X-ray crystallography and other biophysical techniques, to reveal structural, functional and mechanistic details of membrane proteins that could one day aid in the development of new drugs and vaccines targeted towards membrane proteins. One major focus of the lab is the study of rhomboid intramembrane proteases (peptidases). Rhomboid function has been linked to Parkinson’s disease, breast cancer and parasitic invasion. Our crystal structures of this novel type of protease are providing information on how the rhomboid protease acts to cleave protein targets in the membrane. Using both functional and structural approaches we are focusing on how rhomboid proteases regulate cleavage of their substrates. This information is crucial to assist with de novo drug design.