Illuminating Organelle Dynamics in Development and Neurodegeneration

Emerging evidence has shown changes in the function and dynamics of intracellular organelles (mitochondria, lysosomes, endoplasmic reticulum) in multiple neurodegenerative diseases. Imaging presents a powerful tool for tracking the dynamics and functions of organelles. This project will develop a platform for simultaneous, dynamic imaging of eight organelles in multiple cell types derived from iPSC (stem cell) lines, inviting questions about the contribution of specific genes, genotypes, and organelle dynamics. This type of scaled, systems-imaging approach has not previously been applied to neuronal cell types and could be used to compare the impact of different neurodegenerative diseases and mutations on not just one organelle, but multiple organelles simultaneously.

This project was selected for the second phase of the Collaborative Pairs RFA.