Michael Fine
Papers
2
Total Citations
16
H-Index
2
About
Michael Fine is a structural biologist and biophysicist whose research focuses on the expression, purification, and structural analysis of human membrane proteins, particularly ion channels. His major contributions center on developing and optimizing methods to produce functional human membrane proteins using the *Xenopus laevis* oocyte system, a challenging but powerful heterologous expression platform. Fine’s most cited work includes the first single-particle electron microscopy reconstruction of functional human TRPM4, a transient receptor potential ion channel implicated in cardiovascular and neurological disorders, achieving a low-resolution projection structure from only 8 citations. He also co-authored a detailed protocol for rapid membrane protein expression and purification from oocytes, providing a valuable resource for the field. While his citation counts are modest, Fine’s methodological innovations have enabled downstream functional and structural studies of difficult-to-express human channels, bridging the gap between heterologous expression and structural biology. His work is particularly notable for demonstrating that oocytes can yield sufficient protein for cryo-EM analysis, opening new avenues for studying human membrane proteins in near-native conditions.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2