(Internal) Structural phylogenomic analysis of nuclear and membrane thyroid hormone receptors

Advisor: Andreas Heyland, Integrative Biology

Proposed computational advisor: Ayesha Ali or Rui Hang

The overall goal of this research project is to conduct a structural phylogenomic analysis of nuclear hormone receptors for invertebrate species to predict thyroid hormone binding capacity and to test evolutionary hypotheses about thyroid hormone signaling and function. We will pull potential thyroid hormone-binding nuclear hormone receptor sequences from NCBI protein databases, align sequences, and use homology modeling to predict structure. We will then evaluate these structures for thyroid hormone binding potential and conserved motifs at the putative binding site. There are two positions available. 

This is a two-semester project but can also be designed as a one-semester project.

Please contact aheyland@uoguelph.ca for more information.