Defining structural principles of cell function by cryo-electron tomography

My group uses cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) to understand the structural basis of fundamental cellular mechanisms and their pathological alterations within native environments. In this lecture, I will introduce the basics of cryo-ET imaging, and illustrate its potential through some of our recent studies. First, I will discuss how proteostatic stress remodels the mitochondrial protein biogenesis machinery in human cells. Moving to native nervous tissues, I will share our ongoing efforts to map the nanoscale endomembrane architecture of neurons and glia.