The Sabatini lab is interested in understanding how biological systems regulate size. Our work has focused in part on a cellular network called the TOR pathway, a critical regulator of growth in many species. We have recently identified several new protein components of the TOR pathway and are beginning to understand their function at the cell and organismal level.

To study the mTOR pathway and other important cellular networks, the lab has developed a new type of microarray that allows scientists to look at thousands of genes at once and identify their roles inside the cell. These 'cell microarrays' contain 4,000-10,000 microscopic spots, each composed of a group of live cells over- or under-expressing a specific protein. The lab is using these cell microarrays to understand how drugs with unknown mechanisms affect cells and to discover novel components of signaling systems. As part of this effort we are also developing image analysis software for use in cell based assays.

**Review on cancer cell metabolism**
**Sabatini appointed HHMI Investigator**