Abstract

Phenotypic Screening of Cellular Organelle Function

Robin Ketteler, Group Leader/Manager, University College London

The cell is a dynamic system where multiple organelles work together to generate a functional and specialized platform. Defects in the regulation of these processes can result in malfunctional cells, the underlying cause of many diseases. We aim to understand the cellular regulation of organelle dynamics in more detail by disrupting some of the networks that govern organelle function. In particular, we have studied the formation of autophagosomes and identified novel tool compounds that help to understand the spatial molecular regulation of this process. Using both luciferase-based and imaging-based assays we show that autophagy can be blocked at various steps in the process, thus offering opportunities to target this process for specific disease applications. In the second part of this talk, I will present on our morphometric profiling of secretory granules as a method to understand the biogenesis and function of these organelles.