Intracellular Transport and Cytoskeleton Research Group

Research                                  

The Intracellular Transport & Cytoskeleton Research Group investigates how eukaryotic cells organize and regulate membrane trafficking. Our research focuses on the molecular mechanisms that control intracellular vesicular transport, including vesicle movement, maturation, tethering, and membrane fusion. These processes are essential for maintaining cellular organization and for delivering cargo to the correct intracellular compartments, particularly during lysosomal degradation and autophagy.

Using the genetically tractable model organism Drosophila melanogaster together with cell biological, genetic, and biochemical approaches, we study how membrane trafficking machineries interact with the cytoskeleton to coordinate intracellular transport. In our work, we identify key participants in endosomal and lysosomal transport and explore their functions.

A major goal of our research is to understand how transport intermediates are properly tethered and fused, and how failures in these processes lead to trafficking defects. By uncovering the fundamental mechanisms that govern intracellular transport, our work aims to provide broader insight into cellular organization and the molecular basis of diseases associated with lysosomal dysfunction and impaired membrane trafficking.