Andy Martin

Andy Martin is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics & Structural Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, where he holds a primary appointment in the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and participates in the MCB, Biophysics and Chemical Biology graduate programs as well as the QB3: California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences.

Education & Training:

• Postdoctoral Research – Sauer Lab, MIT
• Graduate Research – Schmid Lab, Universität Bayreuth, Germany

Research Focus:
The Martin laboratory deciphers how the 26S proteasome and related AAA+ ATPases recognize, de-ubiquitylate, unfold and translocate protein substrates. Combining cryo-electron microscopy, X-ray crystallography, single-molecule fluorescence, optical tweezers and hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, his group revealed the subunit architecture of the 19S regulatory particle, elucidated allosteric communication between lid and base sub-complexes, and showed how ubiquitin and the deubiquitinase Rpn11 act as timing sensors to gate substrate entry. Parallel high-throughput screens aim to develop first-in-class inhibitors of Rpn11 and novel PROTACs/molecular glues for targeted protein degradation as cancer therapeutics.

Recent Publication Trends (2020-2025):
Recent work provides mechanistic snapshots of human and yeast 26S proteasomes trapped with substrates, defines how ubiquitin modulates conformational dynamics, identifies NUB1-mediated FAT10 degradation, uncovers linkage-specific polyubiquitin recognition by Cdc48-Ufd1, and characterizes the endogenous inhibitor PITHD1 that restrains proteasome activity during cellular dormancy. Collectively these studies merge structural, biophysical and chemical biology approaches to map the complete substrate-processing cycle of the ubiquitin-proteasome system.

Honors & Awards:

• Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator
• NSF CAREER Award (2012)
• Searle Scholar (2009)

Training & Mentoring:
Martin currently advises graduate students Nitin Daniel and Diego R. Ramos Ortiz and has mentored >30 PhD students and postdocs, many now leading independent careers in academia and industry. His lab welcomes trainees regardless of background and provides interdisciplinary training spanning biochemistry, structural biology, biophysics and translational chemical biology.

Resources & Affiliations:
The laboratory is housed in Stanley Hall and affiliated with the MCB Department, QB3 institute, Biophysics Graduate Group, Chemical Biology Graduate Program and the HHMI. Facilities include single-molecule TIRF and optical tweezer setups, access to state-of-the-art cryo-EM and high-throughput screening cores, enabling seamless integration of basic and translational research.