We are interested in defining the mechanism, regulation and cellular consequences of a novel autophagic mode of stress granule clearance that we termed “granulophagy”. We have completed a genetic screen identifying positive and negative regulators of this process and are currently pursuing follow-up studies.

We are interested in how granulophagy affects turnover of mRNAs resident within stress granules, as well as other key SG proteins. Related to this, we have recently developed new stress granule purification methods, inspired by previous work from the Parker lab (Jain et al, 2016, Cell). Functional studies of how particular proteins and protein complexes localize in stress granules, and the consequences of such localization, are in progress.

For reference see Buchan et al, Cell 2013