GPCRs are among the most important drug targets in medicine. We use cryo-EM to understand how they are recognised and modulated — and to design new classes of ligands.
The µ-opioid receptor (µOR) is a class A GPCR and the principal target of clinically important opioids such as morphine and fentanyl — potent analgesics for moderate-to-severe pain. The same drugs carry fatal toxicity and high abuse potential, and opioid addiction is a large and growing global health problem.
Our cryo-EM structures of the µOR aim to support the development of safer therapeutics. This work was carried out with the Stoeber group at the Centre Médical Universitaire (CMU) in Geneva.
Expanding the horizon of drug design, our work demonstrates the potential of nanobodies as an innovative class of GPCR ligands. We are particularly interested in downsizing nanobodies into cyclic peptides that retain GPCR specificity and high-affinity binding — a route toward new ligands for a range of medically relevant receptors.
We are pursuing several different GPCR targets. This line of research is supported by an SNSF Swiss Postdoctoral Fellowship. Get in touch for more information.
