Daniel is a rising junior at Lawrence University, where he studies biochemistry and neuroscience. At his home institution, Daniel leads a project in the Culhane lab pursuing the in vitro characterization of E-prostanoid receptors. As an Amgen Scholar in the Daboussi lab, Daniel is exploring protein-protein interactions made by Ndrg1. A mutation in the Ndrg1 gene causes the premature truncation of the protein which manifests as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4D (CMT4D), a severe peripheral neuropathy that presents with sensory and motor impairment in the limbs of patients, and the loss of hearing by the 3^rd decade of life. CMT4D is characterized by early-onset demyelination and progressive, often severe, axonal loss in peripheral nerves. Classically considered to be a Schwann cell disorder, the Daboussi lab has shown that Ndrg1 is also crucial for node of Ranvier (NOR) maintenance and sodium channel localization in peripheral nerve sensory neurons. However, the mechanisms by which Ndrg1 regulates the NOR remain unknown. To elucidate interactors of Ndrg1, Daniel is performing glutathione-Sepharose bead-based protein-protein interaction assays to determine which proteins that bind Ndrg1 may be involved in the NOR maintenance pathway. After demonstrating binding to a protein of interest, Daniel will investigate the specific domains responsible for the interaction and probe the amino acid residues contributing to binding. Daniel would like to thank the members of the Daboussi lab for their patience, Dr. Giancarlo Costaguta for his deep guidance, Dr. Lydia Daboussi for her unwavering support, and the Amgen Foundation for making this incredible experience possible!