This Presidential Young Investigator award is to support research into the molecular biology of membrane proteins in the department of Biological Sciences at Stanford University. The specific class of membrane proteins under investigation are the anion transporters, which catalyze the exchange of chloride and bicarbonate across the cell membrane and are also a site of primary attachment of the cytoskeleton of the cell to the membrane. The ultimate aim is to determine the structure- function relationships among several related anion transporters and to determine their physiological function, for instance, do they regulate intracellular pH. This research has fundamental importance to our understanding of the role of the plasma membrane and its component parts on cell function. The relationship of membrane structure and function will be investigated using molecular biologic techniques.
