Zaia Research Group
Our research focuses on glycoprotein and proteoglycan biochemistry, using mass spectrometry as the primary tool.
We use proteomic, glycomic and glycoproteomic methods to understand spatial and temporal regulation of protein glycosylation in normal and disease-related biological processes. We are building maps of matrisome molecular structure related to normal brain physiology and diseases including schizophrenia, drug abuse, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and glioma.
We also work on understanding how respiratory viruses evolve to escape the human immune system. Viral glycoproteins recognize host cell surfaces and mediate host-viral membrane fusion. Despite the availability of genetic sequencing and three-dimensional structures, there is little understanding of the mature structures of viral glycoproteins predict viral antigenic and immunogenic properties. We are developing workflows for viral glycoproteomic analysis and applying them evolution in influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 glycoproteins.
Zaia’s Dept. of Biochemistry research page
