Dr. GPCR Podcast

Hacking GPCRs: Tools, Tech & Drug Discovery with Dr. Tom Sakmar & Dr. Ilana Kotliar

How do receptor activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs) shape the function of GPCRs? In this episode, we dive into the tool-building journey led by Dr. Tom Sakmar and Dr. Ilana Kotliar, whose team developed a powerful multiplexed assay system to map GPCR-RAMP interactions across the receptor superfamily.

🔹 Origins: What began as a Family B GPCR curiosity turned into a decades-long project, sparked by a call from Bruce Merrifield and early discoveries in the amylin/CGRP receptor space.

🔹 The Tools: A 220-GPCR DUET-tagged construct library (available on Addgene) and a web-based platform let scientists visualize GPCR-RAMP interactions and antibody validations instantly.

🔹 Applications: These tools help answer questions about orphan receptors, autoantibodies in disease, and even GPCR heterodimerization — all in a multiplexed, high-throughput format.

🔹 Vision: From academic accessibility to diagnostic potential, this project shows how open science and global collaboration can accelerate discovery in the GPCR field.

“Some of these autoantibodies don’t block — they activate GPCRs. That’s game-changing.” – Dr. Tom Sakmar

Explore the science. Use the tools. Ask the next big question.

Summary created by AI

About Tom Sakmar

Tom Sakmar is a physician-scientist and Rockefeller University professor dedicated to drug discovery and chemical biology research, mainly involving GPCRs. He and his artist/designer wife, Karina Åberg, have three teenage children.

Tom Sakmar on the web

• LinkedIn

• ResearchGate

• Pubmed

• ORCID

• Google Scholar

• Rockefeller University

• Wikipedia

About Ilana Kotliar

Ilana Kotliar is a 5th year graduate student in the lab of Dr. Thomas Sakmar at The Rockefeller University and just recently defended her PhD thesis. Ilana uses chemical biology-based methods to study the regulation and protein-protein interactions of GPCRs. Ilana’s research is multi-disciplinary and involves a close collaboration with the lab of proteomics expert Dr. Jochen Schwenk, located at The Science for Life Laboratory in Sweden. She is a recipient of the prestigious Women in Entrepreneurship Award, an NIH T32 Training Grant, and two Nicholson Fellowships. Outside of the lab, Ilana is a leader within her community, spearheading several outreach initiatives including a global mentoring initiative that matches graduate student mentors to PhD applicants. Ilana graduated Summa cum laude from Cornell University, where she studied Chemistry and Chemical Biology and was recognized as a Merrill Presidential Scholar.

Ilana Kotliar on the web

• Google Scholar

• LinkedIn

• Twitter