Projects
Applying correlation spectroscopy to explore cell signalling via dynamic analysis of plasma membrane receptors KU Leuven
In a multicellular organism, all the processes of cell growth, proliferation, movement and apoptosis are strictly regulated by cell signalling. Individual cells receive signals from the environment and from other cells, and adjust their behaviour accordingly. These signals are received by receptor proteins, most of which span the cell membrane and provide a way for signals from outside the cell to cause changes inside the cell. The tyrosine ...
Regulation of intramembrane proteolysis by specific association of gamma-secretases and their substrates to tetraspanin enriched subdomains of the cell membrane. KU Leuven
γ-Secretases complexes have been intensively studied in the context of Alzheimer disease (AD) because mutations in their subunits cause genetic AD. The study of these enzymes is challenging as they are operating in the hydrophobic environment of the cell membrane which is extremely important for their activity but also poses a lot of technical problems. We think that regulation of this novel class of proteases could occur via ...
A general law describing the diffusion of membrane proteins in vivo based on single molecule tracking of membrane proteins in Escherichia Coli. KU Leuven
The ultimate goal of cell biology is to understand how proteins function in real cells and to understand their regulatory mechanisms. To achieve this goal one needs to analyze molecules in their cellular environment and not under idealized test tube conditions. A major difference between in vivo and in vitro conditions is the crowdedness (and associated molecular complexity) of the cytoplasm and biological membranes. As a consequence ...
Identifying the governing principles and mechanisms of the subcellular organization of bacterial replication KU Leuven
Bacteria are small unicellular organisms that often exhibit short generation times, are genetically tractable and easily engineerable. Although bacteria represent simple forms of proliferating cells, without additional layers of internal organization (e.g., membrane-enclosed organelles) or cell cycle regulation (e.g., cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases) seen in eukaryotic cells, they too need to spatially organize their cellular content to ...
Deep single-cell phenotyping to identify governing principles and mechanisms of the subcellular organization of bacterial replication KU Leuven
Modern metagenomics has opened our eyes to the immense bacterial diversity that exists both among and within us. Despite this diversity, all bacteria share the basic challenge of organizing the various processes that ensure their faithful replication. All bacterial cells need to metabolize nutrients, generate building blocks, maintain their shape and size, replicate and segregate their chromosomes, synthesize cell walls and membranes, and ...
Capturing microbial diversity by single-cell phenotyping to identify governing principles of subcellular organization and unicellular proliferation KU Leuven
Modern metagenomics has opened our eyes to the immense microbial diversity that exists both among and within us. Despite this diversity, all microbes share a similar challenge, and that is to survive and proliferate in order to subsist in their respective environments. To achieve this, these unicellular organisms must integrate a large variety of processes in tiny compartments. Microbes need to take up and metabolize nutrients to generate ...
Capturing microbial diversity by single-cell phenotyping to identify governing principles of subcellular organization and unicellular proliferation KU Leuven
Oxygen gradient induced organization of skeletal tissue engineering constructs. KU Leuven
The spatial distribution and orientation of cells within the growth plate result in a highly organized tissue structure that provides a beneficial and robust environment for new bone formation. The bone forming potential has inspired researchers to re-create this structured environment and explore the use of growth plate-like intermediates in skeletal tissue engineering. Clear clues are available that oxygen plays an essential role in shaping ...
Cargo identification and dynamic organization of the plant-specific TPLATE endocytic complex and its interplay with AP2 Ghent University
We recently identified the TPLATE complex as an essential endocytic complex driving plant clathrin-mediated endocytosis in plants alongside the evolutionary conserved AP-2 complex. Aim of this project is to link membrane proteins to either the TPLATE or the AP-2 complex and to further unravel the function of the TPLATE complex. This will be achieved using proximity biotinylation and conditional delocalization.