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Dr. John D. Aitchison
Associate Director, Institute for Systems Biology
Ph.D., Biochemistry
McMaster University, Ontario, Canada, 1992
Dr. Aitchison studied biochemistry, specializing in biotechnology and genetic engineering, at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. There, in the laboratory of Dr. Richard Rachubinski, he investigated the molecular mechanisms responsible for sorting proteins into peroxisomes. After receiving his Ph.D. in 1992, Dr. Aitchison performed his postdoctoral work in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate Dr. Günter Blobel at Rockefeller University. In Dr. Blobel’s lab, Dr. Aitchison applied classic cell biology techniques and yeast genetics to the study of protein import into the nucleus. During this time, he began to apply large-scale proteomics to the problem, which he continued as an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta from 1997-2000. In September 2000, Dr. Aitchison joined the ISB with the goal of applying systems approaches to the study of fundamental cell biology. He is currently a Professor at the ISB, and holds Adjunct Professorships at the University of Alberta and the University of British Columbia, and Affiliate Faculty status at the University of Washington.
Areas of Research
At the ISB, Dr. Aitchison merges the traditional fields of cell biology and biochemistry with new high-throughput technologies and computational biology to bring about an understanding of how the three-dimensional architecture of cells imparts control over cellular function.
Within this broad context, he is focusing two related areas of research. In the first area, he studies how tiny pore complexes spread over the surface of a cell nucleus regulate the flow of information between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Specifically, Dr. Aitchison observes how these complexes act as corridors through which only specific proteins access the DNA contained within the cell nucleus, and how this selective transport influences the functioning and development of cells.
Dr. Aitchison also studies peroxisomes: cellular organelles that play diverse metabolic roles and are consequently linked to numerous human diseases. Aitchison’s work is devoted to using functional genomics, proteomics, and genetics to achieve a thorough understanding of the regulation of peroxisome development. The comprehensive understanding of this dynamic process will provide insight into the fundamental biology of peroxisome biogenesis and disease processes associated with peroxisomes. This work also serves as a model for the application of systems approaches to more complicated dynamic cellular differentiation processes.
Key collaborations within ISB:
Jeff Ranish — Transcriptional regulatory complexes
Ilya Shmulevich — Transcriptional networks
Tim Galitski — Yeast phenotyping; data integration
Ruedi Aebersold — Proteomics
Hamid Bolouri — Data integration and analysis; transcriptional networks
Dave Goodlett
Key collaborations outside ISB:
Richard Rachubinski
Department of Cell Biology
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
Richard Wozniak
Department of Cell Biology
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
Michael Rout
Laboratory of Structural and Cellular Biology
The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
Brian Chait
Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry
The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
Key publications:
Smith, J. J., Marelli, M., Christmas, R. H., Vizeacoumar, F. J., Dilworth, D. J., Ideker, T., Galitski, T., Dimitrov, K., Rachubinski, R. A., and Aitchison, J. D. (2002) Transcriptome profiling to identify genes involved in peroxisome assembly and function, J Cell Biol 158, 259-271
Makhnevych, T., Lusk, C. P., Anderson, A. M., Aitchison, J. D., and Wozniak, R. W. (2003) Cell cycle regulated transport controlled by alterations in the nuclear pore complex, Cell 115, 813-823
Leslie, D. M., Zhang, W., Timney, B. L., Chait, B. T., Rout, M. P., Wozniak, R. W., and Aitchison, J. D. (2004) Characterization of Karyopherin Cargoes Reveals Unique Mechanisms of Kap121p-Mediated Nuclear Import, Mol Cell Biol 24(19):8487-8503
Marelli, M., Smith, J. J., Jung, S., Yi, E., Nesvizhskii, A. I., Christmas, R. H., Saleem, R. A., Tam, Y. Y., Fagarasanu, A., Goodlett, D. R., Aebersold, R., Rachubinski, R. A., and Aitchison, J. D. (2004) Quantitative mass spectrometry reveals a role for the GTPase
Awards received:
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Scholarship Award
The Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) supports a community of researchers who generate knowledge that improves the health and quality of life of Albertans and people throughout the world. Established by the Government of Alberta in 1980, the AHFMR supports biomedical and health research at Alberta universities, affiliated institutions, and other medical and technology-related institutions.
Canadian Institute for Health Research Award,
Medical Research Council of Canada Post Doctoral Fellowship
CIHR (formerly the Medical Research Council of Canada) is Canada's premier federal agency for funding health research. Its mandate is ”To excel, according to internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products and a strengthened health care system.” Both the CIHR Award and the MRC of Canada Post Doctoral Fellowship are independently awarded by CIHR.
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