Shi Lab

Modulation of amyloid assembly by chaperone-like proteins Soluble proteins have an inherent propensity to undergo altered protein folding, forming cross-B sheet-rich structures called amyloids. Amyloid fibrils have gained significant attention due to their involvement in neurodegenerative disorders. Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common movement disorders and the fastest-growing age-related neurological disorder. It … Read More

Discovery and characterization of a novel family of PIEZO channel auxiliary subunits PIEZO channels are critical cellular sensors of mechanical forces. Native PIEZO1 channels can display nonuniform subcellular localization and exhibit different gating kinetics—principally, slower inactivation in many cell types when compared with heterologous expression systems. These observations could be explained by differences in lipid composition, … Read More

Symmetry breaking and self-organization of a body axis from mouse embryonic stem cells  Abstract:  During development, the embryo must break symmetry to form body axes and patterned tissue structures. Recent discoveries have revealed that stem cell aggregates can recapitulate developmental patterning and morphogenesis in vitro; however, it remains largely unknown how these ‘stembryos’ break symmetry in … Read More