Ion channels are integral membrane proteins that mediate electrodiffusive transport of inorganic ions (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Cl-) across cell membranes. Channel proteins play an especially critical role in the nervous system, which is a complex network of highly specialized cells that communicate by means of electrical and chemical signals. From an engineering standpoint, channels may be thought of as electrochemical nanomachines or molecular circuit elements that initiate pathways of sensory perception, muscle contraction, and hormone secretion, among many other physiological functions. A plethora of channel proteins work in concert to produce action potentials, the bioelectrical signals that travel along nerve fibers and encode information in the brain. As might be anticipated however, these key proteins are susceptible to many different types of natural toxins produced by microorganisms and venomous animals. Our laboratory is interested in the molecular mechanisms of particular channel proteins and an array of neurotoxins as they relate to significant issues of biology, medicine, and the environment.

This website was created by Melissa Bell, Lindsay Schwarting, and Niall Mangan. Updates by Niall Mangan. All information and images on this site are ©Clarkson University Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience.