Current and Past Members

Project:  Ashley's goal is to gain a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate mitochondrial dynamics  by overxpressing a GFP tagged version of a protein, FsZA, to determine its specific role in the mitochondrial dynamics of Dictyostelium discoideum.

Fun fact: I’m a big Crime Junkie fan which led me into wanting to pursue a career in forensic science!

Project: Martin is analyzing the rates of fission, fusion, and motility when overexpressing and under-expressing DJ-1, a protein linked to Parkinson's Disease and mitochondria, in Dictyostelium discoideum to better understand the function and relationship between DJ-1, dynamics, and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Fun Fact: Martin is from Spain, and among his favorite things are running, hiking, traveling, and meeting new people!

Project: Jesus is measuring the distance of fission and fusion from cytoskeletal filaments to determine if these events are dependent upon on microtubules or actin filaments. 

Fun Fact: I love golf, soccer, traveling, my family and tacos. 

Project: Julian is working to knockdown FszA using CRISPR.  This will help us determine if FszA is required for fission, fusion, and or mitochondrial motility.

Fun Fact:  My favorite things to do are play golf, travel, and try new foods!  

Project: Paul is developing a protocol to isolate mitochondria from D. discoideum, something our lab has never done. He will then  use immunoprecipitations to pull down FszA and FszB binding partners from mitochondrial fractions.

Fun Fact:  No matter how hungry a man is, he cannot eat with his two hands 

Project: Maddie is investigating the potential role of FszA in mitochondrial dynamics by examining the effects of its overexpression in Dictyostelium discoideum. 

Fun fact: Maddie loves crocs! She has a collection of about 22 1/8 pairs of crocs :).

Project: Dayna is knocking down the Ftsz Homolog, FszA, to determine whether it inhibits mitochondrial dynamics by measuring reactive oxygen species.

Fun Fact:  Dayna loves science and baking! Following baking recipes reminds her of the protocols for scientific experiments.  

Project: Alice is working to identifying the effects of DJ-1 protein mutants on mitochondrial dynamics. DJ-1 is mitochondrial protein that is mutated in some cases of Parkinson's disease. We do not understand its function so Alice is working to determine if it might be the link between dynamics and Parkinson's disease. 

Fun Fact:  Alice is from South Korea came to the United States to study Biology. Alice believes that challenges in life are a given, but they can be used to our advantage. Each challenge is an opportunity for personal growth and self-improvement! Alice also loves studying new things, visiting new places, and experiencing variety! 

Project: Sophie quantifies fission, fusion, motility, and morphology of mitochondria in our organism, Dictyostelium discoideum, to better understand the relationship between actin and mitochondrial dynamics.

Fun Fact: Sophie's favorite things are cats, being outdoors, and cell biology!

Project: Cameron is analyzing fusion, fission, and motility to determine the effect of the cytoskeleton on these events.

Fun Fact: Cameron once held hands with a dolphin- see picture :) - and hopes to publish a fiction novel one day! 

Project: Will is working to knockdown the FszA protein in D. discoideum using CRISPR to better understand FszA's role in mitochondrial dynamics

Fun Fact: Will's favorite things include traveling, dogs, and learning new things!