Research Projects

Social distancing and self-isolation have become a common aspect of life, and organelles are now considered highly dynamic and form multiple contact sites with their neighbors when needed. Inter-organelle communications are essential for optimum cell functioning, and membrane contact sites (MCSs) are one such mechanism through which organelles communicate. This project aims to investigate the role of MCSs between three important cellular organelles in Parkinson's disease (PD) conditions: endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondria, and peroxisomes. Dysfunctional contact sites are not directly linked to PD pathogenesis, providing novel opportunities for PD pathogenesis and therapeutics. Protein tether molecules are essential for the formation of MCSs, and a yeast PD model will be used to investigate their role. The broader objective of the project is to answer whether MCSs dysfunction is present in PD and identify disease-relevant MCSs and the molecular mechanisms governing this dysfunction. Complementary methods such as high-resolution confocal microscopy, proximity ligation assays, split fluorophore experiments, biochemical characterization, and enzyme assays will be used to address these questions.