The team led by Nicolas Wolff at the Institut Pasteur investigates the spatial and temporal dynamics of membrane receptor signaling, with a particular focus on G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs). Combining integrated approaches such as NMR spectroscopy, cryo-electron single particle analysis, and biophysical techniques on in vitro–produced proteins, the team aims to unravel the molecular principles governing receptor organization and function.
Another major research axis focuses on the molecular architecture of sensory hair cells in the inner ear, specifically the ankle link complex, a multiprotein structure essential for hair bundle cohesion and implicated in Usher syndrome. This complex includes key scaffold proteins and GPCR family members such as ADGRV1. To study these assemblies in their native context, the team employs in situ imaging in the cochlea, using super-resolution microscopy and correlative cryo-imaging (electron and soft X-ray tomography), revealing how the nanoscale organization of these complexes influences sensory function and disease mechanisms.
Through this multidisciplinary strategy bridging cell biology, structural imaging, and genetics, the team seeks to connect molecular dynamics with physiological outcomes in health and pathology.
