Sofia Origanti, PhD

Saint Louis University (SLU)

Our research program strives to understand the translational control of normal and diseased states. Protein synthesis ensures organismal homeostasis by controlling the quantity and quality of the proteome. Protein synthesis is one of the most energy-demanding processes in the cell and the high energy cost requires the cell to closely monitor and regulate the translational machinery to ensure proper growth and survival under conditions of stress. The pervasiveness of translational control is evident in the genesis and progression of diseases such as cancer that are often a consequence of deregulated protein synthesis. Such deregulation presents an excellent opportunity to selectively target the translational machinery for therapeutic advancement. We are primarily interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate the 60S ribosomal factors and their contributions to translational control in response to nutrient, oncogenic and genotoxic stress.