Palmer Lab

The Palmer lab studies the mechanisms of epithelial ion transport and its regulation by hormones and other factors.  Part of this research is at the molecular level.  Here we identify ion channel proteins that mediate the movement of Na⁺and K⁺into or out of epithelial cells, and explore the aspects of those proteins that confer the properties of ion conduction and selectivity for the cognate ion.  Epithelial Na⁺channels (ENaCs) for example, are exquisitely selective for Na⁺over K⁺but the basis for that selectivity is not well understood.