Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · PhysiologyImmune Regulation and Mitochondrial Health Lab
Edward W Harhaj · University Park, Pennsylvania
Research Focus
Dr. Edward Harhaj's lab at Penn State University focuses on understanding how proteins regulate the immune system and mitochondrial health. Specifically, the lab investigates how the zinc finger protein ZFAND6 influences the removal of damaged mitochondria, and how the protein TAX1BP1 modulates inflammatory signaling pathways. This research aims to uncover mechanisms that could lead to new treatments for diseases associated with chronic inflammation and immune dysfunction.
mitophagyinnate immunityinflammationautophagyprotein regulationimmune homeostasiszinc finger proteinsNLRP3 inflammasomecGAS-STING pathway
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate ZFAND6 regulation of mitophagy.
AIM 02Evaluate ZFAND6 effects on inflammation.
AIM 03Analyze ZFAND6's role in the NLRP3 inflammasome.
AIM 04Determine TAX1BP1's mechanisms in inhibiting the cGAS-STING pathway.
AIM 05Explore TAX1BP1's regulation of the NLRP3 pathway.
Skills the Lab Values
PCRcell culturemouse modelsWestern blotRNA sequencingflow cytometryimmunohistochemistryprotein interaction assays
Output against the department
Publications112bottom 34% of dept.190th of 286
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.5ktop 44% of dept.126th of 286
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.