Welcome to our Cell Signalling Lab
Research in our laboratory is focused on defining eukaryotic signal transduction pathways, and investigating how mutations in components of these pathways can contribute to human diseases such as kidney disease and cancer. Our research team investigates questions related to these pathways using an interdisciplinary approach which includes modern mouse genetic tools, cell culture models, high-resolution microscopy, large-scale profiling techniques and clinical specimens.
Signal transduction is a central process in multicellular organisms that allows for the exchange of informational cues between and within cells. These cues are interpreted by organized networks of protein interactions inside the cell which regulate complex biochemical events, ultimately converting them into biological responses such as growth, migration, differentiation and survival. Cells have evolved a tremendous ability to selectively activate specific downstream pathways through the formation of distinct protein complexes. Understanding the molecular basis of these interactions is a significant challenge in biology, and it is of key importance in defining how specific mutations can lead to pathological conditions such as kidney disease and cancer.
Latest Lab News
- Aug 22nd, 2024— Congratulations Nate!
Congratulations to Jones/Zhang lab’s Nate Petersen, for his successful defense on Modulation of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases Using Ubiquitin Variant Induced Proximity!
- Aug 1, 2024 — Lab Research Published in Endocrinology
Reduced Nephrin Tyrosine Phosphorylation Enhances Insulin Secretion and Increases Glucose Tolerance With Age. Endocrinology. 2024 Jul 1;165(8):bqae078. doi: 10.1210/endocr/bqae078.
- July 11, 2024 — Jones Lab Receives CIHR Funding
The Jones Lab is elated to receive $879,750 in federal funding from CIHR to study the molecular mechanisms behind podocyte health and disease.
- July 18, 2024 — Congratulations Erka
Congratulations to Erka Shata for nailing her qualifying exam! The Jones lab has gained another extremely capable PhD candidate.
- July 11, 2024 — Jones lab gets creative
The Jones lab took an afternoon away from the bench to get creative at Play with Clay in downtown Guelph! Who knew we had this many artists in the lab?