International REU in Biophysics and Biochemistry

 

Mentor

Prof. Ravshan Sabirov

Dr. Sabirov is the director of  the Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry at the National University of Uzbekistan, and Chief Scientist of the Laboratory of Molecular Physiology.

Research interest of the Laboratory: ion channels and transporters, their biophysical characterization and their role in basic physiological function of living cells. The Laboratory has long been studying the basic principles of cell volume regulation under osmotic stress. When cells experience an osmotic challenge (such as hypotonic stress), they first passively swell. If this swelling persists, the cells would die. However, cells start actively regulate their volume trying to bring it back to normal level. This is accomplished by activation of a number of ion channels and transporters, which extrude the osmolytes (small osmotically active molecules and inorganic ions, like potassium, calcium and chloride), Water follows the efflux of osmolytes and cell shrinks and survives. Our main interest is the role of anion-selective channels (called volume-regulated anion channels) in cell volume regulation. We study their basic biophysical properties using electrophysiological techniques (such as patch-clamp and lipid bilayers) and role in volume regulation in immune cells using light transmittance detection.

Dr. Sabirov's CVPDF File

Dr. Sabirov's Publication ListPDF File

The Laboratory staff consist of two seniour scientists, three young researchers and one technician. We also have one Ph.D. student and one master student and several undergraduate level students. 

 

RESEARCH PROJECTS/TOPICS FOR STUDENTS

  1. Biophysical profile of the maxi-anion channel in melanoma cells cultured in different media.
  2. Effect of biologically active preparations (substances or plant extracts) on the volume regulation of rat thymocytes under hypoosmotic stress.
  3. Effect of biologically active preparations (substances or plant extracts) on the volume-regulated anion channels in cultured cells.
  4. Modeling of the volume-sensitive outwardly rectifying (VSOR) anion channel as a hexamer of LRRC8 proteins and searching for drug-binding pockets.