Research

Glycosylation — the attachment of sugar chains to proteins and lipids — is not a static modification. My research centres on understanding how cells dynamically remodel their surface glycan landscape to control fundamental processes including endocytosis, cell differentiation, and immune evasion. Rather than treating glycans as fixed structural features, I investigate how their composition is actively regulated by signalling and metabolic programmes to drive rapid, reversible changes in cell state.

Membrane Trafficking Endocytosis Glycobiology GL-Lect Pathway Cancer Cell Biology Galectins
Selected Publications
Nature Cell Biology 2025
Growth Factor-Induced Desialylation for the Fast Control of Endocytosis First author
MacDonald E, Forrester A, Valades-Cruz CA, Madsen TD, et al. · PMID: 39984654
Current Opinion in Cell Biology 2025
Acidification of the Plasma Membrane Corresponding
MacDonald E, Wunder C, Johannes L. · PMID: 40378645
Biology of the Cell 2025
Flotillins in Membrane Trafficking and Physiopathology
Bodin S, Elhabashy H, MacDonald E, Winter D, Gauthier-Rouvière C. · PMID: 39877933
Journal of Cell Biology 2018
HRS–WASH Axis Governs Actin-Mediated Endosomal Recycling and Cell Invasion First author
MacDonald E, Brown L, Selvais A, Liu H, et al. · PMID: 29891722
Cell Reports 2023
3D Matrix Adhesion Composition Facilitates Nuclear Force Coupling to Drive Invasive Cell Migration
Newman D, Young L, Waring T, Brown L, MacDonald E, et al. · PMID: 38100355
Biochemical Society Transactions 2020
Connecting the Dots: Combined Control of Endocytic Recycling and Degradation First author
MacDonald E, Savage B, Zech T. · PMID: 33300959
Traffic 2014
USP8 Controls the Trafficking and Sorting of Lysosomal Enzymes First author
MacDonald E, Urbé S, Clague MJ. · PMID: 24894536