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Welcome to Mads Christensen, new PhD student in Poul Nissen's group at DANDRITE

Mads Christensen started as PhD students in Poul Nissen's group per 1 August 2019. He will be working with a project on the Na,K-ATPase, which is a well known membrane embedded ion-transporter. In addition to the physiological importance maintaining the electrochemical gradient of Na+ and K+ across the plasma membrane, mutations have been identified as the cause of several neurological diseases such as Rapid-onset Dystonia Parkinsonism (RDP) and Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (AHC). The aim of the project is to obtain single molecule activity measurements of the Na,K-ATPase utilizing liposomal reconstitution and TIRF microscopy, along with structural studies of recombinant protein by cryo-EM. The combined functional and structural approach will allow us to gain a better understanding of the functional dynamics of this important transporter, along with an increased insight into different isoforms and disease causing mutations. In addition an expression system of the neutral aminoacid transporter SLC6A19 (B0AT1) in complex with ACE2 is to be established for subsequent structural characterization by cryo-EM.