"Using light to dissect and direct cellular organization"

Abstract:

To explore cellular organization in health and disease our group develops and employs innovative light-based approaches, such as super-resolution microscopy and optogenetics. One of our ambitions is to dissect how the interplay between cytoskeletal organization and intracellular transport underlies the polarized morphology of neurons. In addition, we study how pathological aggregates alter cellular organization and dynamics. I will present our latest results in these two areas and will furthermore present our progress in establishing outcome-driven microscopy, a form of smart microscopy where real-time image analysis enables automated (sub-cellular) optogenetic stimulation in order to guide the biological system under study to specific states.

Bio:

Lukas Kapitein was trained as a physicist, but then fell in love with cell biology. The research of his team is aimed at understanding the mechanisms by which cells establish their shape and intracellular organization and at developing strategies to restore cellular defects that arise in pathological conditions. To this end, his group also heavily invests in developing innovative microscopy approaches to better resolve cellular structure (e.g. super-resolution microscopy) and to actively control cellular processes (e.g. optogenetics). His research has been supported by Veni, Vidi and Vici fellowships, as well as ERC Starting and Consolidator grants.