Contact Information

Office: 3316 PBDB 
Phone: 319-384-4098 
Faculty Profile

Brief description of current research:

Mitochondria are the engine of eukaryotic cellular metabolism. Mitochondria sustain cells with a continuous supply of ATP, replenish metabolic intermediates, and coordinate metabolic flux with numerous aspects of cellular biology. Accordingly, mitochondrial dysfunction is a root cause of devastating diseases, including cancer, neurodegeneration, and diabetes. The Taylor Lab is interested in the molecular mechanisms regulating mitochondrial function and their relationship to disease. Our research program is multidisciplinary, utilizing genetic, biochemical, cellular, and physiological experimental approaches. We have additional interest in problems related to skeletal muscle function and diabetes.

3 most influential diabetes/obesity/metabolism publications:

• Bricker DK*, Taylor EB*, Schell JC*, Orsak T*, Boutron A, Chen YC, Cox JE, Cardon CM, Van Vranken JG, Dephoure N, Redin C, Boudina S, Gygi SP, Brivet M, Thummel CS, Rutter J. A mitochondrial pyruvate carrier required for pyruvate uptake in yeast, Drosophila, and humans. Science. 2012 Jul 6;337(6090):96-100. PMID: 22628558. *Equal Authorship
• Gray LR, Sultana MR, Rauckhorst AJ, Oonthonpan L, Tompkins SC, Sharma A, Fu X, Miao R, Pewa AD, Brown KS, Lane EE, Dohlman A, Zepeda-Orozco D, Xie J, Rutter J, Norris AW, Cox JE, Burgess SC, Potthoff MJ, Taylor EB. Hepatic Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier 1 Is Required for Efficient Regulation of Gluconeogenesis and Whole-Body Glucose Homeostasis. Cell Metab. 2015 Sep 2. pii: S1550-4131(15)00390-3. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2015.07.027. [Epub ahead of print]
• Taylor EB, An D, Kramer HF, Yu H, Fujii NL, Hirshman MF, Bowles N, Roeckl KS, Xie J, Feener EP, Goodyear LJ. Discovery of TBC1D1 as an Insulin-, AICAR-, and Contraction-stimulated Signaling Nexus in Mouse Skeletal Muscle. J Biol Chem. 2008; 283(15):9787-96. PMID: 18276596

Quote:

“I’m fascinated by mitochondria, how they work, what goes wrong when they don’t work, and what it means for human health and treating diabetes.”