Roderick MacKinnon

This study uses fluorescence microscopy and compositional analysis to show that plasma membrane proteins and lipids segregate into protein-rich domains and protein-poor regions, suggesting functional segregation of membrane processes.

This study shows that PLCβ3 is recruited to the plasma membrane by both Gβγ and Gq in macrophages, revealing dual mechanisms for G protein-dependent regulation of PLCβ enzymes.

This study shows that Piezo1 channels in cell-derived membranes exhibit mechanical gating and adopt a flattened shape, requiring both mechanical force and a membrane-derived cofactor for activation.

The paper uses cryo-EM to show that hyperpolarization-induced displacement of the S4 helix in Kv2.1 channels causes pore constriction by altering interactions with S6 helices, similar to EAG1 channels.

This study determines the structure of the Flotillin complex in a native membrane environment using cryo-electron microscopy, revealing its role in membrane curvature and isolation of biochemical processes.

This paper introduces the Freestanding-Bilayer Microscope (FBM) for single-molecule imaging of membrane proteins and benchmarks it against TIRF imaging to study ion channel dynamics.

The paper shows TRAAK is localized to nodes of Ranvier and contributes to nerve conduction by modulating membrane potential and Na+ channel availability.