Erik Procko

The Procko lab has developed 'Big Data' tools for deep mutational scanning of transmembrane proteins in mammalian cells. By combining in vitro evolution with deep sequencing, it becomes possible to characterize the phenotypes of thousands of receptor mutants in a single experiment, and a comprehensive sequence-fitness landscape of a protein can be experimentally determined. Mutations can then be identified that alter protein activity, with a particular focus on finding mutations that drive proteins into specific conformations. We are currently focused on three membrane protein systems: neurotransmitter transporters associated with psychiatric disease, G protein-coupled receptors in the immune and nervous systems (including receptors for taste, chemokines and HIV-1 entry), and the HIV-1 envelope fusion protein.