Gregory’s lab develops unconventional model systems to reveal hitherto unrecognised aspects of cellular organisation. They are focused on discovering adaptive cellular traits based on high-order protein assemblies and organelles with biochemical purification, mass spectrometry and comparative genomics.

While many proteins under study are restricted to a group of related species, they are found to function through connections with ancient and conserved cell components. Gregory’s lab is predisposed to approaching cell biology through evolution. This creates opportunities to identify new problems and approach long-standing ones with fresh perspectives.

Gregory’s lab uncovered what octahedral structures were made of.While scientists already understood that P. blakesleeanus distinguishes up from down by detecting how crystals settle within its cells, the team managed to purify the crystals, identify their main building block–a protein named OCTIN, and then trace the evolutionary history of the gene that encodes it. As a result, the ancestors of P. blakesleeanuswere found to have acquiredthe gene from bacteria, and later repurposed into a gravity sensor.

Gregory’s lab also uncovered a novel function for cytoplasmic streaming in the Neurospora model system. Using live cell imaging, it was found that flow engenders cytoplasmic heterogeneity in the form of microfluidic eddies. Data further showed that cellular sub-compartments can be self-organised as a consequence of cytoplasmic streaming. Because regimented streaming also occurs in plants and animals, biochemical heterogeneity caused by flow could be widely exploited to pattern activities of the cell.

In soil ecology, multicellular fungi specialise to break down plant litter, and play a pivotal role indecomposition, as well as soil nutrient cycling.As the global population grows to a projected 9.8billion in 2050, overall food demand is on course to increase by more than 50 percent. Gregory’s lab is exploring applications that convert plant food production waste into added value nutritional products under controlled conditions to meet this challenge.They aim to raise food production efficiency and productivity without expanding agricultural land in a sustainable manner.

Looking ahead, Gregory’s lab hopes to continue discovery-directed research with a focus on developing important new model systems. Other interests include deciphering the evolution of giant chloroplasts in the genus Caulerpa, andnovel carbon cycling mechanisms in non-photosynthetic diatoms. The team also hopes to develop and explore therapeutics based on condensation of low-complexity proteins.