Much of modern cell biology is focused on the mechanisms that target proteins and lipids to their proper cellular destinations. The controlled movement of membranes is critical for the actions of growth factors, the secretion of hormones and neurotransmitters, the processing of antigens during the immune response, the maintenance of cell polarity and many other vital cell functions. Scientists in this program are identifying the cellular compartments involved in these processes and the mechanisms that regulate membrane flow between them. Success in this venture leads to identification of the cell's sorting and targeting machinery, high-resolution structures of the proteins that mediate these processes and an understanding of how the physical interactions among these proteins are regulated and how they govern trafficking.

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