Illuminating organelle dynamics and lipid trafficking

Lipids are essential molecules for life. They form the membranes that separate cells from their environments, store energy in a highly concentrated form, and act as important signaling molecules. Within cells, lipids are stored in organelles called lipid droplets. Lipid droplets are comprised of a core of neutral lipids (triglycerides and sterol esters) surrounded by a phospholipid monolayer. Because all other organelles are surrounded by phospholipid bilayers, lipid droplets are not connected to traditional vesicular trafficking pathways. Instead, they can exchange materials with other organelles directly at membrane contact sites. Our lab uses cutting-edge microscopy techniques to study how lipids traffic between organelles within cells, and between different cell types, in response to changing developmental and environmental cues.