Vacquier Laboratory

The Vacquier laboratory discovers gamete surface proteins that mediate sperm-egg recognition in sea urchins and abalone. They also work on proteins that play special roles in sperm physiology such as signal transduction proteins, ion exchangers and ion channel proteins. They have shown that gamete recognition proteins evolve rapidly and are also subjected to positive Darwinian selection. The laboratory also studies defense mechanisms in sea urchins and abalones. The biochemical mechanism by which sea urchin immunocytes form cellular clots is also under investigation. Homologous proteins to those found in human macrophages that are thought to be involved in killing bacteria are also being investigated in sea urchins and abalones.