The research interests of the Schwarz lab, which they approach genetically and with a combination of molecular and electrophysiological techniques include:

• the mechanism of secretion of neurotransmitter at the synapse;
• membrane trafficking in non-neuronal cells
• axonal transport, particularly of mitochondria;
• the function of K+ channels in their cellular milieu.

To study transmitter secretion and membrane trafficking, Schwarz and colleagues have used Drosophila and have analyzed mutations in a number of important trafficking proteins including synaptotagmin, syntaxin, and VAMP/synaptobrevin and are currently investigating the components of the exocyst complex. They are also engaged in an extensive genetic screen for new loci that are important for synaptic function. These projects have raised questions about membrane trafficking outside the nervous system, particularly in early embryos, and in the mechanisms of axonal transport of organelles.

To study the physiological significance of individual K+ channels, the researchers have knocked out the genes for three such channels in mice (Kir2.1, Kir2.2, and Kv4.2). The functional consequences have been investigated in cardiac myocytes, vascular smooth muscle cells, and hippocampal pyramidal cells. By using this genetic approach they can identify the molecular nature of in vivo currents and obtain an appreciation of the biophysical role of the channel in the single cell. They can also examine physiology at the level of intact organs and indeed the entire organism. These studies have also involved the lab in an examination of the control of cortical blood flow and in the pathogenesis of cleft palates.