VIB Department of Medical Protein Research, UGent 
Department Director : Joël Vandekerckhove

 ADDRESS

Science
The Department entered VIB in 1996 as a research group working on actin organization and using state-of-the-art protein chemistry.  It then also formed the core of the Department of Biochemistry of the Faculty of Medicine of the Ghent University.  While its original structure was highly integrated (the Department was smaller and researchers were younger), the actual structure is more segmented, though still reflecting the same basic lines of research.
Two groups still continue on the actin skeleton and actin function.  One group  (C. Ampe) studies the specific function of isoforms of profilin, thymosin b4 and gelsolin.  In addition interesting work on the in vivo actin folding by cytosolic chaperonins is carried out.  The group around J. Gettemans concentrates on links between signal transduction pathways and actin organization.  Another group (J. Vandekerckhove) is focussing on proteome technology development.  In this position the group is able to support other groups with respect to particular protein chemistry related problems.  In 1996, J. Tavernier joined the Department.  He brought with him valuable and highly appreciated expertise in molecular biology.  His research is focussed on the organization of the IL-5, type I-interferon and leptin receptors and the way their signals lead to essential cellular activities.  The growth of his group created an important diversification to what was so far considered as the “conventional research themes of the department”.

Structure
The Department of Medical Protein Research is structured around the following group and project leaders and research themes:

• Joël Vandekerckhove & Kris Gevaert: functional proteomics: development and applications
• Christophe Ampe: molecular cell biology and biochemistry of the actin cytoskeleton
• Jan Gettemans: actin cytoskeleton and tumorigenesis-protein / lipid interaction
• Jan Tavernier: cytokine receptor laboratory
• Lennart Martens: computational omics and systems biology
  

An introduction to their work can be found on the individual pages.

Departmental support
The members listed below are working on a departmental level providing general support . The team members within the individual Research Groups are listed on their specific pages.

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