Research Interests

My group is interested in understanding the connections between cellular metabolism and cellular redox processes. It has been clear for many years that changes in the metabolic state of the cell can lead to changes in cellular redox species, for example increased production of superoxide or hydrogen peroxide. Conversely, changes in cellular redox processes may also regulate and control cellular metabolism. However, a detailed understanding of this complex interplay and its impact upon cellular behavior and physiology remains elusive. For example reactive oxygen species may be produced by many different processes within the cell and production may be highly localized. Different reactive oxygen or nitrogen species likely have different impacts upon cellular physiology and it is probably also important where, when and how much of the particular ROS/RNS is produced. We are using yeast for which we have an extensive array of genetic tools, together with novel genetically-encoded fluorescent redox sensors and high-throughput automated screening with the aim to make fundamental new insights.