One of the defining features of eukaryotic cells is the presence of diverse set of organelles with a very distinct structure. However, instead of isolated cellular compartments each carrying out their own functions, organelles are highly interdependent structures that communicate through specialized membrane contact sites to function together to perform cellular functions. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a highly dynamic membrane network that extends throughout the cell cytoplasm. The ER has a central role in organelle communication, as it forms membrane contacts with every other organelle. Our aim is to utilize advanced imaging technology to carry out a detailed quantitative morphological characterization of the ER under physiological or pathological conditions such as ER stress, and during differentiation processes where cells adopt specialized functions to unravel how ER functioning is orchestrated. Our ultimate aim is to reveal the connection of many diseases and ER functioning.

2020

2025