Overview
Integral membrane proteins have roles in many human diseases, but are notoriously difficult to study due to their unique biochemical features. Dr. Igor Stagljar and his team at the University of Toronto recently developed a powerful new technology, the Mammalian Membrane Two-Hybrid (MaMTH) assay, which can map protein-to-protein interactions (PPIs) of integral membrane proteins directly in the natural context of the cell. They now propose to further develop MaMTH technology by converting it into a platform that can map these PPIs on an extremely large scale. This work will allow researchers to develop better-targeted therapies for human disease more rapidly. The technology will be the foundation for an Ontario-based company called Protein Network Sciences that will offer easy access to this novel disruptive MaMTH technology, advancing biomedical research and therapeutic discovery while benefiting Canadian social and economic infrastructure.