Laboratory Angelika Rambold
Metabolic Organelle Networks in Immunology
Metabolic programming emerged as a central mechanism in the regulation of adaptive and innate immune cell function. Intracellularly, this rewiring relies on the rapid adaptation of different organelle systems, specialized metabolic sub-compartments, which can arrange themselves in functionally interconnected networks to from metabolic circuits.
The Rambold lab focuses on untangling the identity and mechanisms driving orga-metabolic networks and how these shape immune cell functions during conditions of inflammation and infection on the single cell and populational level.
Goals
Immune cell defects leave us open to attacks from bacteria, viruses and more. However, an overacting systems is, in many cases, as harmful and dangerous as one that stops working. By deciphering how organelle-networks instruct immune cell metabolism and function, our work is aimed at identifying novel avenues that may help us combat immune-related diseases.
Approach
We follow an interdisciplinary research approach at the interface between immunology, cell biology and metabolism. We are combining cutting edge organelle and metabolic imaging approaches (advanced live and super-resolution imaging) and analysis with metabolomics and RNA-sequencing techniques (both at bulk and single organelle/cell level) on primary immune cells for the identification of orga-metabolic networks. Candidate pathways are tested in relevant animal models, human disease models and/or patient material.