Dr. Lila Gierasch's lab focuses on understanding how proteins fold correctly within cells, particularly through the action of heat shock proteins like Hsp70. These molecular chaperones play a critical role in maintaining protein health by helping them achieve their functional forms and preventing misfolding that can cause diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The lab employs various biochemical techniques to study the mechanisms of protein binding and the effects of mutations on these processes, aiming to find new ways to target these proteins for disease intervention.