In collaboration with the Institute for Protein Design (IPD – UW), postdoctoral fellow Damien Detraux will use synthetic AI-designed proteins to robustly and specifically target signaling pathways though RTKs-modulating mini-binders and control the direct conversion of fibroblasts across different lineages. Specific aims of the project include investigating the role of signaling pathways in cell fate conversion and bifurcations and the role of TrkA signaling in neuron conversion.