Molecular determinants of cardiolipin signalling in mitochondria

我的研究重点是线粒体，我们细胞的重要组成部分。线粒体有两层膜，将它们与细胞的其余部分分开;一层是折叠的内膜，另一层是外膜。这两种膜相互作用的方式在人类健康和疾病中起着关键作用，这些过程的失调与神经退行性疾病、心肌病和神经系统疾病有关。我的团队正在通过使用计算模拟以及包括冷冻电子断层扫描在内的实验方法来建立线粒体的3D动态模型。该计划代表了对线粒体膜以及它们如何协同作用的全面，多学科的分子水平研究，并将使我们对如何控制这些途径有新的了解。我的研究项目产生的新认识将被应用于研究其他相关途径，从长远来看，有望在线粒体质量控制途径中找到潜在的新药靶点。一般来说，在理解膜蛋白-脂质相互作用方面的进展也将对药物发现计划的进展产生影响。

My research focusses on mitochondria, important components of our cells. Mitochondria have two membranes, separating them from the rest of the cell; an inner, folded membrane and an outer membrane. The way these two membranes interact has critical roles in human health and disease, and dysregulation of these processes has been linked to neurodegenerative disorders, cardiomyopathy and neurological disease. My group are building 3D, dynamic models of mitochondria by using computational simulations alongside experimental approaches including cryo-electron tomography. This programme represents a comprehensive, multidisciplinary molecular level study of both membranes of the mitochondria and how they behave in concert and will give us new understanding of how we might control these pathways. The new understanding generated by my research programme will be applied to study other related pathways and, long-term, will be expected to lead to potential new drug targets in mitochondrial quality control pathways. Advancements in understanding membrane protein-lipid interactions in general will also have implications for the advancement of drug discovery programmes.