WELCOME TO THE PARTCH LAB
Nearly all eukaryotic organisms have molecular clocks that synchronize their physiological processes into rhythms that coincide with the solar day, providing enhanced evolutionary fitness by optimizing energy utilization and coordinating timing of integrated biochemical processes. Disruption of these circadian rhythms in mouse models causes adverse effects by affecting the etiology of psychiatric disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. By developing a deeper mechanistic understanding of how the clock functions, we will be able to capitalize on this temporal regulation of physiology to develop new and innovative strategies to treat a broad spectrum of diseases, including cancer.
The Partch lab utilizes a multidisciplinary approach encompassing cell biology, in vitro biochemistry, and biophysical techniques to develop atomic level insight into clock protein function. Our weapon of choice is solution NMR spectroscopy, which allows us to monitor and quantify dynamic behavior in proteins and map protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions.
