Welcome to the Erhu Cao Lab

We are broadly interested in understanding atomic-scale mechanisms of how membrane proteins function under normal and diseased states. Membrane proteins play critical roles in nearly every aspect of physiological processes that encompass relaying signals between cells, transporting small molecules and ions across the membrane and catalyzing vital enzymatic reactions. Importantly, membrane proteins constitute ~60% of targets of currently approved drugs and thus in-depth knowledge about their inner workings is sorely needed to inform the development of effective therapeutic strategies for treating various human diseases.