I am an interdisciplinary scientist who has been studying the molecular mechanisms of how proteins sense and transport lipids in cells. I am currently working as a post-doctoral research associate at the University of Sydney and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide & Protein Science.
Scientist exploring the interplay between proteins and lipids that give rise to a functioning cell.
Bilge Ercan, PhD
Research Interests
My research interests are in the area of cell biology and protein/lipid biochemistry.
​
Lipids are molecules with numerous functions, such as being building blocks of biological membranes and signaling molecules in the cells. Lipids in biological membranes can profoundly differ, in variety and amount, between organelles in the cell. For example, the plasma membrane, which separates the cell's interior from the outside, contains ~45% cholesterol (a famous lipid). On the other hand, the cholesterol levels in the endoplasmic reticulum do not exceed ~5% of the total lipids. This difference in concentration and, in other cases, lipid type gives rise to organelle identity, whose preservation and maintenance are essential for cellular health.
​
Proteins play a big part in maintaining cellular lipid homeostasis by uniquely recognizing lipid type or amount and/or providing transport to their final membrane destination. Understanding these processes mechanistically is crucial. Specifically, I am interested in
​
1) Deciphering molecular mechanisms of lipid recognition and transportation by proteins in cells
2) Creating new lipid biosensors (peptide, protein, or small molecule) based on the deciphered recognition mechanism as they potentially help us to:
-
bring new therapeutics to people who suffer from lipid dyshomeostasis in conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, and Alzheimer's disease, to name a few
-
design new drugs against bacterial or viral infections
-
invent lipid sensors with applications in the biomedical industry
Publications
Ercan, B., Naito, T., Koh, D.H.Z., Dharmawan, D., Saheki, Y. (2021). Molecular basis of accessible plasma membrane cholesterol recognition by the GRAM domain of GRAMD1b. EMBO J. 40:e106524
Jeyasimman, D., Ercan, B., Dharmawan, D., Naito, T., Sun, J., Saheki, Y. (2021). PDZD-8 and TEX-2 regulate endosomal PI(4,5)P2 homeostasis via lipid transport to promote embryogenesis in C. elegans. Nat. Commun. 12:6065
Ercan, B., Low, WY., Liu, X., Chng, SS. (2019). Characterization of Interactions and Phospholipid Transfer between Substrate Binding Proteins of the OmpC-Mla System. Biochemistry 58, 114–119.