Research Focus
Dr. Aller’s lab focuses on membrane protein structural biology and molecular mechanisms of disease, particularly anti-cancer biotechnology and ABC transporters using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). He is a recognized NIH Innovator which resulted in new insights into drug transport by MDR1/Pgp, the first atomic model of an outward-facing Pgp conformation, and essential metal uptake mechanisms in Yersinia pestis. He fosters the next generation of scientists, with former graduate students like Dr. Chris Radka (K99/R00 awardee), Dr. Christina Le, and Dr. Cole Martin – each with flourishing careers an academic science.
The Aller Lab, known for its pioneering work in structural biology, recently compared crystal and cryo-EM structures of the insecticidal protein toxin XptA2, marking Dr. Aller’s debut in single-particle analysis. His lab’s contribution to cryo-EM was highlighted by then-NIH Director Francis Collins before the Senate Appropriations Committee in 2017 – https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4674775/cpan. Dr. Aller’s lab has significantly contributed to research infrastructure at UAB and for Alabama, securing NIH S10 funding for high-end cryo-EM and organizing in-person workshops so researchers and trainees can competently process their own cryo-EM data. This expertise is further recognized by an active 5-year NIH PPG renewal (2022-2027) supporting cryo-EM experiments characterizing Apolipoprotein A-I interaction with ABCA1.
The Aller Lab is now expanding into ABC toxin complexes (Tcs), investigating their structures and mechanisms for host-tropism across species with potential clinical and agricultural applications. Dr. Aller’s lab also has a mini division dedicated to applying artificial neural networks to advance membrane protein structural biology, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, and exploring novel computational approaches to complement experimental data and accelerate discovery.
Research Keywords:
Keywords: Membrane protein structure and function, cystic fibrosis, X-ray crystallography, Tangier disease, atomic 3D cryo-electron microscopy, rational drug design, ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters, high-affinity metal transport, protein engineering
