Cell Biology Faculty
Learn more about this group by contacting Dr. Jacek Gaertig (jgaertig@uga.edu).
Research within this group is focused on the fundamental functions of the cell, such as organelle biogenesis and function, cell polarization, cytoskeleton, cell motility, sensing, signal transduction, intracellular transport, cell cycle regulation and gene expression. Our faculty use interdisciplinary approaches including genetic, biochemical, bioinformatic, biophysical, microscopic imaging and mathematical modeling tools to understand the basic properties of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
Associate Professor
Plant Biology
- Molecular cell biology of the wall, Biofuel and BioEnergy, Golgi as model for System biology, Plant Immunity.
Associate Professor
Genetics
- We use the advanced genetic mouse models to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying several diseases: obesity, diabetics, muscle and heart diseases.
Assistant Professor
Genetics
- Meiotic chromosome biology using Drosophila as a model system.
Associate Professor
Cellular Biology; Neuroscience
- Nuclear and genome organization; Chromatin structure and function; Gene regulation in Drosophila development.
Associate Professor
Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences
- Post-translational modification including protein acylation, fatty acid metabolism, prostate stem cell, Src family kinases, prostate cancer, small molecular inhibitor.
Distinguished Research Professor
Genetics; Plant Biology
- Plant centromere and kinetochore structure and function.
Professor
Cellular Biology
- Cellular and molecular biology of acidocalcisomes; the role of polyphosphate in trypanosomatids.
Assistant Professor
Plant Biology; Institute of Bioinformatics
- Using plant and microbial synthetic biology to study and design plant form/function, engineer plant microbiomes, and aid biological carbon sequestration.
Associate Professor
Genetics; Neuroscience
- Genetic analysis of mouse development; cell fate specification in the embryonic central nervous system; patterning of the body plan’s left-right axis.
Assistant Professor
Microbiology
- Bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, dynamics of bacterial nanomachines, microbial subcellular organization.
Associate Professor
Cellular Biology
- Toxoplasma’s Strategies to Manipulate Host Immunity
Professor
Cellular Biology
- Molecular cell biology of the cytoskeleton; molecular genetics of ciliates.
Professor
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
- Retrovirus-like transposons in budding yeast, control of transposition, restriction factors.
Assistant Professor
Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences
- Defining the spatiotemporal regulation of kinase pathways and the regulation of GPCR induced inflammation and proangiogenic signaling, for the development of therapeutic agents.
Professor, GRA Eminent Scholar in Biomedical Glycosciences
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Neuroscience
- Role of glycosylation in regulating Notch signaling, assisting protein folding, and development.
Associate Professor
Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences
- Translational research in biomaterials (antifouling, antiplatelet, antibacterial, and antiviral) for tissue engineering and medical device applications
Professor
Microbiology
- Gene regulation in bacteria; regulation of flagellar biogenesis; control of RpoN-dependent transcription in bacteria.
Assistant Professor
Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences
- The Huet Lab will use metabolomics and CRISPR-based approaches to understand the mitochondrial and organellar biology of a class of protozoan parasites, the apicomplexans.
Associate Professor
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Genetics
- Transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms regulating preimplantation development, pluripotency, differentiation and cellular reprogramming in humans
Associate Professor
Cellular Biology; Neuroscience
- Our research is aimed at identifying the principles of neural circuit assembly, which is key to understanding the treatment of neurological disorders. To achieve this, we develop imaging toolkits including fluorescent probes and advanced microscopes.
Professor
Cellular Biology
- Regulation of the cell cycle; ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and development.
Professor
GRA Eminent Scholar Chair in Antiparasitic Drug Discovery
Cellular Biology; Infectious Diseases
- The discovery and development of new drugs to prevent or treat malaria and diseases caused by brain-eating amoebae. Elucidating mechanism(s) of resistance and discovering new drug treatment regimens, combinations, or strategies to overcome resistance.
Professor
Cellular Biology
- Cell Biology of Cilia; Cilia-related diseases, Intracellular Transport.
Professor
Microbiology; Plant Biology
- Human fungal pathogens, sexual reproduction and development in fungal pathogenesis
Associate Professor
Plant Biology
- Fertilization, and early cell-fate decisions in plant embryos.
Professor
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
- Understanding intracellular and intercellular heme transport.
Distinguished Research Professor
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry, molecular, and structural biology of mammalian glycoprotein biosynthesis and catabolism.
Distinguished Research Professor
Cellular Biology, Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases
- Metabolism and drug development against protozoan parasites. Calcium signaling and storage in Toxoplasma gondii.
Professor
Cellular Biology
- Molecular and cellular biology of the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum.
Assistant Professor
Plant Biology
- Cell differentiation during plant reproduction, genomics and gene regulatory networks, single-cell RNA-sequencing, reprogramming cell fate
Associate Professor
Cellular Biology; Neuroscience
- Regeneration and development; understanding cellular/molecular mechanisms that underlie neural regeneration in planarians.
Assistant Professor
Genetics
- Understanding mechanisms that regulate stem cell behavior, regeneration, and reproductive development in tapeworms
Professor
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
- Molecular and biochemical parasitology: DNA modification, homologous recombination and the regulation of antigenic variation in Trypanosoma brucei.
Professor
Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholar
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Neuroscience
- Molecular cell biology and biochemistry of proteases associated with isoprenylated protein maturation and amyloidogenic peptide degradation; cancer; Alzheimer’s disease.
Associate Professor
Infectious Diseases; Microbiology
- Bacterial modulation of eukaryotic membrane dynamics for intracellular survival; SNARE-dependent membrane fusion biochemistry.
D.W. Brooks Distinguished Professor
GRA Eminent Scholar
Regenerative Bioscience Center Director
Neuroscience; Toxicology
- We are developing stem cell approaches to repairing bone and nerve injury in addition to use of stem cells as a tool to screen toxins and potential drug therapies.
Associate Professor
Physiology & Pharmacology; Toxicology
- Mammalian germ cell and early embryonic development; meiotic chromosome segregation in oocytes; genomic instability; impact of age and environment on meiotic division.
Associate Professor
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Complex Carbohydrate Research Center
- Biosynthesis and regulation of plant cell wall synthesis and deposition, post-translational modifications, glycan imaging and dynamics.
Assistant Professor
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Complex Carbohydrate Research Center
- Investigating the regulatory mechanisms of glycosylation using genomic, chemical, and genetic approaches with particular focus on the discovery of novel drugs and targets to treat human diseases.
Professor
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
- X-ray crystallographic and biochemical studies of nucleotide sugar metabolism.
Assistant Professor
Neuroscience
- Develop regenerative therapies for neurological diseases by investigating the pathological and therapeutic roles of extracellular vesicles in cellular and animal models.
Associate professor
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
- Stem cell biology, brown fat development and induction, non-coding RNA, development of novel therapies for human obesity and type 2 diabetes
Associate Professor
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Cellular Biology; Neuroscience
- Effects of pathological stress on cells of the peripheral nervous system and the adrenal gland. In vitro disease modeling using human pluripotent stem cells.
Assistant Professor
Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences
- Geroscience-guided drug discovery and mechanistic studies of aging biology to develop therapies for healthier, longer lives.