Lab
Konrad Zinsmaier
Rotation Labs
Konrad Zinsmaier
Minor
Biochemistry
Research Summary
Mitochondria are the main metabolic centers of human cells, producing more than 90% of the energy that human body requires for survival. Besides this crucial energy-producing role, they are also critical in synthesis of many molecular species required by eukaryotic cells, such as lipids, terpenes, and Fe-S clusters. In neurons, energy-intensive processes of synaptic transmission reqire close presence of mitochondria, both for energy production and for regulatory control (primarily calcium buffering). An additional problem in neurons is transport: synapses of some motor neurons can exist many feet away from the body of the cell, requiring constant mitochondrial transport along the axon. We are currently exploring the complex interplay of mitochondrial metabolism and neural activity, with a particular focus on axonal transport processes.
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