Development and Application of Novel Mitochondrial Imaging Technologies in the Nervous System

Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell and are key players in cellular metabolism. Many of the fundamental roles of mitochondria in neurons are still unknown due to the lack of tools for manipulating and monitoring mitochondrial function. In this project the student will develop novel mitochondrial imaging technologies in mammalian cultured neurons and in neuronal subtypes in the living brain in Drosophila. Optogenetics, combined with fluorescent reporters of mitochondrial function will be used at the subcellular level in mammalian neurons and in neural circuits in Drosophila. This project will reveal fundamental new insights into mitochondrial neurobiology