The Saiardi lab is interested in the signalling function of inositol pyrophosphates. Just before joining the LMCB, he showed that the high-energy phosphate bond present in IP 7 acts as the phosphate donor in a completely new kind of protein phosphorylation reaction that is not mediated by an ATP-dependent protein kinase. A current objective is to characterize the physiological consequences of inositol pyrophosphate-dependent protein phosphorylation - how is it activated and how does it influence cell behaviour? A second interest in the Saiardi lab is focused around inositol polyphosphate multikinase (IPMK). Since IPMK is capable of phosphorylating both soluble and lipid inositol phosphates and is localized in the nucleus, it has the potential to provide novel insights into the nature and significance of nuclear signalling.

Contact: a.saiardi@ucl.ac.uk