Disease Networks

Manninen Lab - The cell biology and genomics of prostate cancer

More information about the research can be found here

Mitochondria and Lipids

Mitochondria are intracellular structures that are separated from the rest of the eukaryotic cell by a double membrane, forming a compartment specialized to perform a large array of task essential for cell survival. Most prominently, mitochondria convert breakdown products of sugars, fats or proteins into chemical energy that can be used by the cell, but there are several equally important other roles of these so-called cellular organelles. There is ample evidence that mitochondria descent from prokaryotic microbes that were incorporated into proto-eukaryotic cells eons ago and now exist in an endosymbiotic relationship with the rest of the cell. We are interested in the role of mitochondrial fatty acid synthesis (mtFAS) in the control of the function of these organelles. We have recently proposed that mtFAS serves as a regulatory circuit sensing the metabolic status of the cell and coordinating mitochondrial biogenesis and activity with cellular metabolite availability. Our studies in yeast and mammalian models, address the question on how this communication between the endosymbiotic resident and its cellular host is achieved on a molecular basis.

MECHANISMS OF ORGANOGENESIS

The mechanisms that regulate establishment of complex tissue structures of functional organs are based on cell-cell and tissue interactions. During these interactions the cells send and receive signals that set up and execute the yet poorly understood developmental programs. These circuits commit the cells to specific fates and instruct them to construct cellular assemblies via morphoregulation. One of the major challenges in the field is to reveal the details of these processes and how these have been changed during evolution.

More information about the research can be found here

Lymphocytes and inflammation group

Inflammation, fibrosis and cancer underlie a vast variety of human diseases. The immune system is often involved with these disorders. We investigate the role of subsets of CD4+ T cells, especially Th17 and Treg cells in inflammatory diseases. We study T cell functions at multiple levels from mouse and human and integrate the results to build a comprehensive view of T cell differentiation process. The results of our studies are expected to gain new insight into the molecular mechanisms of lymphocyte differentiation to Th17 and iTreg lineages. This in turn will be important for developing therapeutic strategies that will facilitate rational modulation of the immune response.

Research

Jianan's group develops nanophotonic biosensors for label-free studies of single molecules, single particles and single cells by combining microfluidic molecular manipulation, plasmonic nanostructures and plasmon-enhanced spectroscopy.

More information about the research can be found here.

Research