Paul Blount, Ph.D.

Dr. Blount's research is aimed at determining molecular, biochemical, and biophysical mechanisms underlying an organisms’ ability to detect mechanical forces. Such mechanosensation is necessary not only in our sense of touch, but in the ear for hearing and balance, as well as cardiovascular regulation. Because of its tractability and simplicity, he has primarily studied mechanosensitive channels in bacteria.

Dr. Blount’s laboratory utilizes a multidisciplinary approach that includes microbial genetics, biochemical, biophysical and electrophysiological approaches to explore the general functional principles of biological mechanosensors.

His work has also recently expanded to include investigating the potential use of bacterial mechanosensors as potential drug targets, developing them into ‘triggered nanovalves’ that could be used in drug-release devices or “smart” contrasts for MRI, and the biophysical characterization of candidate mammalian mechanosensitive channels.

Undergraduate

University of California-San D (1983)

Graduate School

Washington University (1990)

• Bacterial channels
• Mechanosensation
• mechanosensitive channels
• Microbial homeostasis
• Osmoregulation

Featured Publications

Activation of a Bacterial Mechanosensitive Channel, MscL, Underlies the Membrane Permeabilization of Dual-Targeting Antibacterial Compounds.

Wray R, Wang J, Blount P, Iscla I, Antibiotics (Basel) 2022 Jul 11 7

In Silico Screen Identifies a New Family of Agonists for the Bacterial Mechanosensitive Channel MscL.

Wray R, Blount P, Wang J, Iscla I, Antibiotics (Basel) 2022 Mar 11 4

Curcumin activation of a bacterial mechanosensitive channel underlies its membrane permeability and adjuvant properties.

Wray R, Iscla I, Blount P, PLoS Pathog 2021 Dec 17 12 e1010198

A native cell membrane nanoparticles system allows for high-quality functional proteoliposome reconstitution.

Yang L, Catalano C, Xu Y, Qiu W, Zhang D, McDermott A, Guo Y, Blount P, BBA Adv 2021 1

Life with Bacterial Mechanosensitive Channels, from Discovery to Physiology to Pharmacological Target.

Blount P, Iscla I, Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 2020 Feb 84 1

Novel MscL agonists that allow multiple antibiotics cytoplasmic access activate the channel through a common binding site.

Wray R, Wang J, Iscla I, Blount P, PLoS ONE 2020 15 1 e0228153

An agonist of the MscL channel affects multiple bacterial species and increases membrane permeability and potency of common antibiotics.

Wray R, Herrera N, Iscla I, Wang J, Blount P, Mol. Microbiol. 2019 Jun

Interaction of the Mechanosensitive Channel, MscS, with the Membrane Bilayer through Lipid Intercalation into Grooves and Pockets.

Rasmussen T, Rasmussen A, Yang L, Kaul C, Black S, Galbiati H, Conway SJ, Miller S, Blount P, Booth IR, J. Mol. Biol. 2019 Jun

Human mutations highlight an intersubunit cation-p bond that stabilizes the closed but not open or inactivated states of TRPV channels.

Teng J, Anishkin A, Kung C, Blount P, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2019 Apr

Effects of Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound on Liposomes Containing Channel proteins.

Babakhanian M, Yang L, Nowroozi B, Saddik G, Boodaghians L, Blount P, Grundfest W Sci Rep 2018 Nov 8 1 17250

 Featured Books

MscL: The bacterial mechanosensitive channel of large conductance. In Mechanosensitive Ion Channels (a volume in the Current Topics in Membranes series)

Blount, P., Iscla, I., Moe, P. C. Li, Y. (2007). St. Louis, MO, Elsievier Press

Mechanosensitive channels gated by membrane tension: Bacteria and beyond.. In Mechanosensitive ion channels (a volume in the Mechanosensitivity in Cells and Tissues, Moscow Academia series)

Blount, P., Li, Y., Moe, P. C., Iscla, I. (2008). New York, Springer Press

• Member of the American Society for Microbiology
• Member of the Biophysical Society