The CoB welcomes Paolo Annibale as new Group Leader
It is a real pleasure to welcome Dr Paolo Annibale as new Group Leader at the CoB. Paolo has been appointed Reader to the School of Physics and Astronomy and joined the School and the CoB in January 2022. Paolo is an expert in single-molecule super-resolution imaging, fluctuation spectroscopy and its application to the understanding of a range of membrane receptor proteins. His work focuses mostly on the mechanisms of activation and signaling of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR), and subsequent downstream events which lead to alterations in cell function. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a large family of approximately 800 members, which include receptors for light, taste and smell, but also many receptors for transmitters and hormones. They are also the most important group of targets for drugs, for example beta blockers, antihistamines and opiates.
All GPCRs share common structural features, presumably also common activation mechanisms, and they all signal via heterotrimeric G proteins (Gαβγ) and – at later points upon activation, via β-arrestins. We use a variety of biochemical and pharmacological methods as well as new microscopic techniques to study the mechanisms of their function and their potential to serve as targets for innovative drug therapies.