Research Background:

Mitochondria the powerhouse of a cell has important roles to play in cellular bio-energetics. Mitochondrial function is altered in diseases like cancer, neuro-degenerative disorders, muscular dystrophies and other diseases. Mitochondria is central to energy metabolism supplying ATP to all cellular physiological processes, maintaining cellular redox homeostasis and regulating programmed cell death or apoptosis via mitochondrial pathway. Since, the interplay of glycolysis and mitochondrial OXPHOS is altered in cancer, mitochondria have become a target of therapeutic intervention. At the Keck Center, UVA we study cellular metabolism and mitochondrial response to treatment in cancer and neurodegenerative disorders by advanced fluorescence and lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM).