Huan Bao, PhD
Huan Bao, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, was awarded a five-year $2 million R35 grant from the NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences for a project titled “Designer Nanodiscs to Probe and Reprogram Membrane Biology.” The NIIH R35 grant supports outstanding investigators doing long-term research by offering flexibility to pursue innovative and new research directions as they emerge.
All cells ultimately die — whether to support organismal development, eliminate damaged tissues, or drive disease progression. Given the essential role of cell death in maintaining homeostasis, its molecular regulation has long been a subject of intense study. Because biological membranes are fundamental to cellular integrity, it is not surprising that many cell death effectors function by disrupting membrane structure.
A wide range of death executioners has been identified with potent membrane-perforating activities. Yet despite growing interest in their biological functions and therapeutic potential, the precise mechanisms by which these molecular “killing machines” breach membranes remain poorly understood across many forms of regulated cell death.
With support from the NIH R35 award, the Bao lab is developing innovative nanotechnological platforms to address this critical knowledge gap. This work aims to uncover the fundamental principles of membrane disruption during cell death, offering transformative insights into biological processes that are central to life, health, and disease.
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