Title
Assistant Professor

Department
Dept of Molecular & Cell Biology


Faculty URL
https://mcb.berkeley.edu/faculty/CDB/lewiss

Research Group
https://www.thelewislab.org/

Email
samlewis@berkeley.edu


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Research Expertise and Interest
mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial genome inheritance, organelle assembly, DNA replication, cell metabolism, interactions between membrane-bound organelles

Research Description
Within each of our cells, the genetic control of metabolism is split between the nuclear genome and thousands of small, circular mitochondrial genomes. The co-regulation of these two genomes is required for aerobic life, yet paradoxically, their replication and inheritance are uncoupled.?Defects in mitochondrial DNA cause hereditary metabolic diseases that impact tissues with high energy demand such as the brain, muscle and heart and are also linked to cancer and the innate immune response. The Lewis Lab team aims to reveal?the mechanisms that ensure mtDNA integrity and inheritance in animal cells, using?quantitative imaging, genetics, and systems biology approaches.