Phyllis Hanson
University of Michigan, MI·Biochemistry
Lysosomes are the cell's recycling centers. They break down materials and also help regulate metabolism and signaling.
- Fields
Biochemistry
Biology
Biophysics
- Topics
lysosomes
lysosomal membrane damage
lysosome repair
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Mar 2031
What they work on
- Determine how membrane remodeling by ESCRT proteins, which reshape and seal membranes, integrates with lipid delivery and cholesterol content to keep lysosomal membranes intact under stress, using cell-biological, biochemical and biophysical approaches.
- Define how individual components of the ESCRT machinery contribute to the resilience and repair of damaged lysosomes.
- Identify how cells recognize unsalvageable, damaged lysosomes and select them for removal.
More about the research
Metabolic, mechanical or infection-related stress can tear the lysosome's outer membrane. When this happens, toxic contents leak into the rest of the cell and can ultimately kill it. How cells detect this damage and decide whether to reinforce, repair or discard a lysosome is an open question. The answer matters because such damage is linked to many diseases.
Why it matters
Lysosomal membrane damage is emerging as a common thread in neurodegeneration, immune dysfunction and cancer. Knowing how cells reinforce, repair or remove damaged lysosomes could point to new therapeutic strategies that strengthen lysosomal resilience in these disorders.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Xin Jie Chen
Upstate Medical University, NY·Biology
Test in yeast whether specific mitochondrial stresses cause severe protein-handling damage to the vacuole, the yeast lysosome. Use genetic screens to find genes that suppress this signaling and may extend lifespan.
Lauren Albrecht
University of California-Irvine, CA·Biochemistry
Identify new proteins that arginine methylation sends to lysosomes for breakdown, and define the short amino acid sequence patterns (peptide motifs) required for their delivery.
Joseph Falke
University of Colorado Boulder, CO·Biochemistry
Determine how Class 1 and Class 3 PI3K enzymes integrate calcium, receptor and G protein inputs, and whether these combine additively, synergistically or in opposition, using single-molecule TIRF microscopy on supported lipid bilayers.
The school
University of Michigan: 124 labs on PI Pages, $2.1B a year on research, 963 research doctorates a year.
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