RESEARCH FIELD

Redox Biology

Redox biology studies the roles of oxidation-reduction reactions and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in biological signalling, adaptation, and disease. Historically framed as purely damaging oxidative stress, it is now clear that reactive oxygen species including hydrogen peroxide, superoxide, and nitric oxide function as second messengers that regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, metabolism, immunity, and gene expression. Research spans the enzymatic sources of cellular ROS including NADPH oxidases and the mitochondrial electron transport chain, antioxidant defence systems including glutathione, thioredoxin, catalase, and superoxide dismutase, redox-sensitive signalling proteins regulated by cysteine oxidation, and redox dysregulation in cancer, neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disease, and ageing. Ferroptosis — a form of regulated cell death driven by lipid peroxide accumulation and iron — is a recent discovery with therapeutic implications for cancer. Genetically encoded redox biosensors enable real-time imaging of specific ROS in live cells. Funding sources include NIH, the ERC, ageing research foundations, and pharmaceutical companies targeting redox pathways.