Richard H. Scheller

I investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of membrane organization and transport in eucaryotic cells. The initial focus of my laboratory was on the mammalian nerve terminal, where we defined a set of proteins critical for the release of neurotransmitters. These proteins were the founding members of families of molecules responsible for membrane fusion events throughout the cell and in all organisms from yeast to man. We are now investigating molecular processes that regulate the specificity and timing of membrane fusion events. This regulation is accomplished by a diverse set of proteins and lipids including GTPases and molecular chaperones. Our ultimate goal is to understand the role of membrane trafficking events in the regulation of synaptic plasticity, a mechanism of learning and memory.