In our lab, we use biophysical and molecular biological methods to investigate several structurally similar but non-homologous integral membrane proteins. All are seven-helical, chromophore-containing pigments: one is bacteriorhodopsin, a proton pump found in the purple membrane of the archaebacterium H. Salinarium,, and the others are visual pigments, photoreceptor proteins found in photoreceptor cells of the vertebrate retina, such as bovine rhodopsin and gecko P521.

Bacteriorhodopsin

Visual Pigments

• The structure of visual pigments
• The kinetics of photobleaching of rhodopsin
• The surface charge and chloride binding of gecko visual pigments

Links:

• To Ebrey lab personnel page
• To some pages describing our recent research
• Page with Links to Ebrey lab alumni
• To the UW Botany and Zoology home pages

Copyright© 1996-1998 Saurav Misra and Osamu Kuwata