Muscle proteomics and nanotechnology

Telephone: (301) 496-4097

E-mail: wangk@mail.nih.gov

Office: Building 50, Room 1140

Mailing Address:
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
50 South Drive, MSC 8024 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-8024 

Giant muscle proteins in skeletal and cardiac muscles

Protein folding and elasticity

Nanobiology and polymer engineering

Our research addresses how contractile proteins and cytoskeletal proteins play key roles in muscle assembly, contraction, regulation, elasticity and muscle diseases. Current projects are technologically diverse yet tightly integrated: Project 1 "Giant Proteins, Slender Filaments and Elastic Cytoskeleton" represents long-standing interests of ours in the pursuit of the cellular and physiological functions of titin, nebulin, nebulette and other families of giant proteins in muscle and non-muscle cells. Project 2 "Stress-Bearing Structures in Muscle and Motile Systems" aims at determining the design principles of the stress bearing and transmitting structures, with a view towards tissue engineering and the pathogenesis of muscle diseases. Project 3 "Nanotechnology in Muscle and Motile Systems" seeks to apply nanotechnology to life sciences. This new bioengineering initiative will enable us to study the actions and interactions of single molecules, single filaments and single organelles in real time. Project 4 "Proteomics in Muscle and Motile Systems" deals with the development of a systematic approach to map protein contacts between interacting proteins in muscle and other complex cellular structures. Project 5 "Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Muscle Tissues" represents the development of non-invasive muscle imaging techniques to study live muscle tissues in health and disease.