Structural cell biology of transport vesicle and organelle biogenesis (360G-Wellcome-090909_Z_09_A)

My two main and interrelated research questions are: How are different cargoesselected for incorporation into different transport vesicles? How are organelle biogenesis membrane fusion events regulated? Both processes require the complex interplay between many proteins and must also involve interactions with phospholipid membrane components. In the cell, all of theseinteractions must be temporally and spatially regulated to allow cellular lifeto continue and so we also want to understand how such regulation is achieved.We also wish to investigate how certain pathogens, especially retroviruses, recruit the cell's vesicle trafficking machinery to facilitate infection.