Our research focuses on uncovering the molecular underpinnings of cancer biology and advancing precision therapeutics through integrative strategies combining oncology, chemical biology, and rational drug design. Our primary mission is to develop and characterize highly selective, potent, and metabolically stable small-molecule inhibitors targeting oncogenic signaling pathways.
Majority of cancer related deaths occur due to metastasis. However, current regimens of anti-cancer drugs do not have anti-metastatic/anti-invasion drugs. Gain of motility through EMT is the common feature of invading cancer cells and actomyosin based contractility is one of the common denominators underlying motility. Actomyosin cortex provides the link between membrane plasticity and cellular contractility.
Research
The Kotil Lab is dedicated to exploring the realms of both experimental and theoretical biology. Our research delves into critical issues such as antibiotic resistance, microbial diversity, and epidemiology. To achieve a comprehensive understanding, we employ a blend of molecular biology techniques alongside mathematical methodologies. Our interdisciplinary approach is aimed at enhancing our insights into these complex biological phenomena.
At the Kurt Lab, we focus on the next generation of genome editing technologies through a comprehensive, end-to-end approach that bridges computational biology and experimental science. We aim to discover and engineer novel CRISPR proteins to develop efficient and precise genome editing tools with desirable features. Our research has two arms:
The long term goal of our research is to understand the biology of SUMO proteins, to dissect their functions in health and pathology, and to explore their potential for targeted therapies.
Plants as sessile organisms have evolved strategies to tolerate and survive periodic episodes of environmental stress, such as extremes of temperature and drought. Natural selection drove the development of both adaptive behaviour and environmental sensing mechanisms that help plants tolerate or avoid such conditions. An example of the latter is the cessation of growth following induction of bud dormancy seen in many plants during the winter season.
Our research focuses on the investigation of mitochondrial involvement in stress signaling. We study different signals emanating from mitochondria and systematically dissect the molecular pathways those signals activate that may be exploited in the context of aging, age-related diseases and mitochondrial fitness.
The human genome contains more than twenty thousand genes. Cells need to tightly control when, where, and how much these genes are expressed during the development and functioning of organisms. Various environmental influences can disrupt the normal gene expression programs through genetic and epigenetic changes. Such disruptions are known to play central roles in disease processes like cancer.
My research interest focuses on two different topics: i) nanoparticle synthesis for drug delivery applications using flow reactors and ii) identification of genetic variations involved in the development of atherosclerosis.
