Alexander J. Varshavsky

The Varshavsky lab is focused on the ubiquitin system and related fields. During the 1980's, Varshavsky and colleagues produced the first evidence that ubiquitin is required for protein degradation in living cells. They also discovered the first degradation signals of the ubiquitin system, its first physiological functions, and its crucial mechanistic attributes such as the multi-ubiquitin chain and subunit selectivity of proteolysis. Their current work continues this line of studies. In addition, they are investigating the molecular-level cause of sleep.