Malaiyalam Mariappan

Dr. Malaiyalam (Mals) Mariappan is an Associate Professor at the Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. He holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Göttingen, Germany, and completed postdoctoral training at the NIH, USA. His research focuses on protein biogenesis, quality control, and degradation in mammalian cells, with implications for diseases like diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders.

• University of Göttingen, Germany (Ph.D.)
• Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (Faculty)

His laboratory investigates three major projects: (1) Membrane Protein Biogenesis and Quality Control, particularly tail-anchored (TA) proteins and their ubiquitination-deubiquitination dynamics; (2) ER Stress and the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) in cellular decision-making for survival or apoptosis; and (3) Novel proteomic strategies to identify ER-Associated Protein Degradation (ERAD) substrates. Using techniques like fluorescence imaging, CRISPR/Cas9, and structural approaches, his work bridges biochemical mechanisms with disease pathology.

From 2023 publications, his team explored the glyco-code in ER chaperone function, ubiquitination dynamics, and DNA origami nuclear pore mimics. Earlier studies (2022-2020) addressed signal sequences, GET pathway organization, and IRE1α regulation. Current Master's students Sade Adeniran and Lesley Rico contribute to these projects, while alumni like Rachel Plumb and Jacob Culver have transitioned to impactful research roles.