Intra- and inter-cellular communication driven by membrane contact sites within a virus microenvironment  

These investigators have shown that viruses can alter organelle connections in a host’s cells, forcing infected cells to prime their neighbors to become more susceptible to infection. In this project, they will determine the underlying causes and consequences of this virus-induced organelle network reorganization by developing novel tools to monitor and manipulate organelle connections in cells at varying distances from viral infection sites. The approaches they develop can be extended to a multitude of biological contexts and will expand our understanding of inter- and intra-cell interactions and immunity.  

This project is part of the 2024 Organelle Communication cohort

These researchers will explore a thrilling frontier in cell biology emerging from the discovery that organelles (cellular compartments) can directly connect to each other to exchange materials and information, forming complex and dynamic networks. Much of how these interactions occur remains unknown due to the profound challenges of observing rapid events on a nanometer scale. This cohort will pioneer new tools to directly observe and model the organelle ‘interactome’ across time, space, and cell type. Their findings will expand our understanding of core biological principles, with powerful implications for fields ranging from regenerative medicine to virology.