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Pantazis Laboratory of Cellular Excitability - PaLaCE

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Our research

Ion channel function, structure and regulation in health and disease. Ion channels are fascinating proteins that generate and sense electrical signals in the cell.

In the Pantazis Laboratory of Cellular Excitability - PaLaCE, we employ cutting-edge experimental and computational approaches to understand how the intricate structure of ion channels relates to their function.

We also study how protein partners and signaling molecules regulate ion channel activity, altering their structure and bestowing new functional properties. Finally, we are striving to understand, at the molecular level, life-threatening diseases that arise from ion channel dysfunction (channelopathies). We use techniques such as electrophysiology, fluorescence spectroscopy, confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, and computer simulation—in addition, we develop new methods to tackle experimental challenges in physiology.

Click play to see how the voltage-clamp fluorometry technique “illuminates” a voltage-gated calcium channel complex (structure #7MIY by the Yan lab).

Research group

Photo of Antonios Pantazis

Antonios Pantazis

Associate Professor, Docent

Photo of Michelle Nilsson

Michelle Nilsson

Postdoc

Photo of Serena Pozzi

Serena Pozzi

PhD student

Photo of Kaiqian Wang

Kaiqian Wang

Postdoc

Photo of Amaya Jauregi Miguel

Amaya Jauregi Miguel

Principal Research Engineer

Pei Xin Boon
Photo of Sümeyye Süheda Yasarbas

Sümeyye Süheda Yasarbas

Research Assistant

Lab notices

March 2024

🙂 People: Dr. Peixin Boon is joining us as postdoc. She graduated from the Dundalk Institute of Technology, Ireland.

🙂 People: Sümeyye Süheda Yaşarbaş (İzmir Institute of Technology, Turkey) is joining us as research assistant

🎓 Graduation: Michelle Nilsson defended her thesis and is now a PhD! Henry Colecraft (Columbia University) served as opponent. Mia Lindskog (Uppsala Univ.), H. Peter Larsson (LiU) and Martin Hallbeck (LiU) were in the thesis committee.

February 2024

🙂 People: Orgena Dano is joining us for her MSc project

🌎 🏆 Conference & Award: We all went to the Biophysical Society meeting, in Philadelphia, PA! Catherine and Serena gave talks. Michelle, Amaya and Serena presented posters. Antonios presented a poster from our collaboration with the Taglialatela group, and there was also work from our collaboration with the Olcese group. Michelle and Amaya received travel awards!

January 2024

🌎 🏆 Conference & Award: Serena and Antonios went to the Worldwide Sodium Channel Conference, in Grindelwald, Switzerland! Serena gave a talk, presented a poster, and received a travel award!

💰 Funding: Antonios is co-applicant in a grant by Erik Smedler (Univ. of Gothenburg) by the Program for Academic Leaders in Life Science (PALS).

November 2023

🏆 Award: Antonios received the Swedish Fernström Prize!

October 2023

📰 Publication: Mínguez-Viñas T, Prakash V, Wang K, Lindström SH, Pozzi S, Scott SA, Spiteri E, Stevenson DA, Ashley EA, Gunnarsson C, Pantazis A. Two epilepsy-associated variants in KCNA2 (KV1.2) at position H310 oppositely affect channel functional expression. J Physiol. 2023 Oct 26. doi: 10.1113/JP285052. PMID: 37883018.
Link: https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/JP285052
X-post: https://twitter.com/ntoniosPantazis/status/1717855012401946985

June 2023

💰 Funding: The Swedish Brain Foundation (Hjärnfonden) funded our application FO2023-0025!

March 2023

🏆 Award: Michelle Nilsson’s article received the “Best Scientific Paper Award” by the LiU Medical Faculty Student Association.

🙂 People: Panagiota “Penny” Gkotsi (Univ. of Patras School of Medicine) is joining us as an Erasmus+ exchange student.

🙂 People: Serena Pozzi is now officially a PhD student! She will study how a new variant of the cardiac sodium channel causes an unexpected, familial, and sometimes lethal type of cardiac arrhythmia.

February 2023

🌎🏆 Conference & Award: Biophysical Society annual meeting, San Diego, CA. Michelle gave a platform presentation; Serena, Catherine and Antonios presented posters, and there was one more poster from our collaboration with the Olcese lab, UCLA. Antonios also co-chaired the Voltage-gated sodium and calcium channel platforms session. Catherine was given a travel award by the Biophysical Society!
Read more on Twitter

 

News articles

News articles from LiU

Researcher Antonios Pantazis sits in his office and shows his 3D model of ion channels in different colors.

Antonios Pantazis channels his passion for ion channels

Antonios Pantazis has recently been awarded the prestigious Swedish Fernström Prize for his work on ion channels. His lab aims to unravel the molecular mechanisms of ion channels and their role in various diseases, such as epilepsy and arrhythmias.
Kaiqian Wang.

A subtle genetic change gives new clues about epilepsy

Sometimes, even the alteration of a single nucleotide in a gene can cause serious disease. A recent study sheds light on the molecular biology behind some forms of genetic epilepsy.
People mingling at Building 511, Campus US.

The WCMM-LiU symposium highlights crucial topics in medical science

Researchers from LiU, Sweden and invited international scientists, will give talks focusing on a broad range of topics around science, medicine, and technology. The WCMM-LiU symposium is an opportunity to network, interact, and share ideas.

External news articles

The research team gathered in the lab.

A simple mistake in the DNA code caused epilepsy

Lotta Fredholm interviewed Antonios Pantazis about their lab’s work on epilepsy-causing mutations on the KCNA2-gene (in Swedish).

To the article
The schematic used for the cover of this external news article.

A new epilepsy-associated mutation in a potassium channel causes multigenic loss of function

Michelle Nilsson, PhD student at LiU, was invited to contribute an article explaining her latest PNAS paper in Neurologi i Sverige (in Swedish).

To the article

Publications

2023

Teresa Mínguez‐Viñas, Varsha Prakash, Kaiqian Wang, Sarah Lindström, Serena Pozzi, Stuart A. Scott, Elizabeth Spiteri, David A. Stevenson, Euan A. Ashley, Cecilia Gunnarsson, Antonios Pantazis (2023) Two epilepsy‐associated variants in KCNA2 (KV1.2) at position H310 oppositely affect channel functional expression Journal of Physiology, Vol. 601, p. 5367-5389 Continue to DOI

2022

Michelle Nilsson, Sarah H Lindström, Maki Kaneko, Kaiqian Wang, Teresa Minguez-Viñas, Marina Angelini, Federica Steccanella, Deborah Holder, Michela Ottolia, Riccardo Olcese, Antonios Pantazis (2022) An epilepsy-associated KV1.2 charge-transfer-center mutation impairs KV1.2 and KV1.4 trafficking Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 119 Continue to DOI

2021

Marina Angelini, Arash Pezhouman, Nicoletta Savalli, Marvin G. Chang, Federica Steccanella, Kyle Scranton, Guillaume Calmettes, Michela Ottolia, Antonios Pantazis, Hrayr S. Karagueuzian, James N. Weiss, Riccardo Olcese (2021) Suppression of ventricular arrhythmias by targeting late L-type Ca2+ current The Journal of General Physiology, Vol. 153, Article e202012584 Continue to DOI

2020

Antonios Pantazis, Maki Kaneko, Marina Angelini, Federica Steccanella, Annie M. Westerlund, Sarah Lindström, Michelle Nilsson, Lucie Delemotte, Sulagna C. Saitta, Riccardo Olcese (2020) Tracking the motion of the K(V)1.2 voltage sensor reveals the molecular perturbations caused by ade novomutation in a case of epilepsy Journal of Physiology, Vol. 598, p. 5245-5269 Continue to DOI

2019

Antonios Pantazis, Riccardo Olcese (2019) Cut-Open Oocyte Voltage-Clamp Technique Encyclopedia of Biophysics Continue to DOI
Sharmila Venugopal, Soju Seki, David H. Terman, Antonios Pantazis, Riccardo Olcese, Martina Wiedau-Pazos, Scott H. Chandler (2019) Resurgent Na+ Current Offers Noise Modulation in Bursting Neurons. PloS Computational Biology, Vol. 15, Article e1007154 Continue to DOI
Soju Seki, Toru Yamamoto, Kiara Quinn, Igor Spigelman, Antonios Pantazis, Riccardo Olcese, Martina Wiedau-Pazos, Scott H. Chandler, Sharmila Venugopal (2019) Circuit-Specific Early Impairment of Proprioceptive Sensory Neurons in the SOD1(G93A) Mouse Model for ALS Journal of Neuroscience, Vol. 39, p. 8798-8815 Continue to DOI

2018

Antonios Pantazis, Karin Westerberg, Thorsten Althoff, Jeff Abramson, Riccardo Olcese (2018) Harnessing photoinduced electron transfer to optically determine protein sub-nanoscale atomic distances Nature Communications, Vol. 9, Article 4738 Continue to DOI

Lab Alumni

Photo of Sarah Lindström

Sarah Lindström

Principal Research Engineer
Photo of Teresa Minguez Vinas

Teresa Minguez Vinas

Postdoc

Giraldez lab, University of La Laguna

Photo of Varsha Prakash

Varsha Prakash

Research Assistant
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Research area

Hjärnan

The Brain and the Nervous System

Research on the nervous system has made great strides in recent years. At Linköping University we are focusing among other things on the research on addictions, dementia and hearing disorders.
Blodkärl

The Heart and Blood Vessels

The cardiovascular system is a fascinating organ system whose task is to supply all the body’s organs with oxygen and nutrients, as well as carrying away waste products.

Cell and Molecular Biology

Molecular Biology research focus on  how molecules and systems within cells interact. Of special interest is the flow of genetic information from DNA via RNA to protein synthesis, and how these processes are regulated.

Organisation

Image of molecules that will take you to WCMM's homepage.

Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine at LiU

WCMM at LiU focuses on the medicine-technology interface, and build upon our existing strengths in research within medical technology, materials science and bioengineering.

The Division of Cell and Neurobiology (CNB)

The Division of Cell and Neurobiology is a dynamic and innovative environment where we conduct research and teaching on both the structure and function of various cells as well as the nervous system and sensory organs.

Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (BKV)

What characterizes the Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (BKV) is the wide breadth of research and education. BKV is one of the largest departments at LiU with affiliation mainly to the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

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