merza

The goal of our laboratory is to understand how the endolysosomal membrane system of eukaryotic cells is "wired" -- how it is organized, how it is regulated, and how its regulation is integrated with cellular metabolism. We work at levels ranging from the whole organism to single molecules, and use yeast genetics, biochemistry, in vitro reconstitution, quantitative optical microscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. New projects at all of these levels are possible. We collaborate with several UW groups including the labs of Ning Zheng, Tamir Gonen, and Kelly Lee. Our work is currently funded by the NIH and the American Cancer Society. (Note: we are currently a pure yeast lab, but the "developmental biology and stem cells" box is checked because I'm trying to find a student who wants to start an awesome/crazy project on either C. elegans or planarian flatworms. My original training is in immunology and microbial pathogenesis, and projects in these areas are also possible.)