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Mitochondria are highly mobile organelles whose shapes range from egg-shaped, over tubular to interconnected networks. They have an outer and a highly folded inner membrane. The folds of the inner membrane, the cristae, have characteristic shapes that suggest a possible sub-compartmentalization of this membrane. We are concentrating on two areas that are fundamental for the maintenance of mitochondrial morphology. First, we investigate the molecular machineries iMitochondria play a central role in the energy metabolism of all eukaryotes. They are important for many developmental processes and mitochondrial malfunction is observed in a number of severe diseases. These organelles have an outer and a highly folded inner membrane. The folds of the inner membrane, the cristae, have characteristic shapes that suggest a possible sub-compartmentalization of this membrane. We are concentrating on two research areas that are fundamental for the maintenance of mitochondrial structure and function. First, we investigate the structural organization of the inner membrane. Second, we investigate how the precise localisation of mitochondrial proteins is controlled. We use the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system because of the large array of genetic tools available and also because it appears that the components and mechanisms that control mitochondrial biogenesis are well conserved between yeast and humans. The group uses molecular and biochemical tools, as well as advanced live cell light microscopy.
Our second interest is, as part of a larger research initiative of the Department of NanoBiophotonics, the investigation and improvement of reversibly switchable fluorescent proteins. These proteins are reversibly switchable between a non-fluorescent and a fluorescent state by light. With their unique properties, they open up numerous potential applications in microscopy and cell biology.
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