Episode 52: Understanding Mechanosensitive Channels Through C. elegans with Dr. Valeria Vásquez

<p>For episode 52 of 17 Minutes of Science we sat down with Dr. Valeria Vásquez from The University of Tennessee Health Science Center to talk about mechanosensitive channels - what are they, why are they important, and how is the Vasquez Lab utilizing <em>C. elegans</em> in their research.</p> <p>The Vásquez lab aims to understand the functional, structural, and molecular mechanism by which mechanosensitive channels respond to mechanical stimuli and help delineate a general framework for their roles in health and disease. The lab follows two main avenues: 1) in vitro biochemical and biophysical approaches to study protein-protein and protein-lipid interactions of bona fide mechanosensitive channel complexes, and 2) in vivo approaches to characterize mechanosensitive channels in <em>C. elegans</em> having novel physiological roles.</p>