Ana Paula Arruda, Ph.D.

Research

My lab explores how cells reprogram their metabolism by reorganizing subcellular architecture. Many of the enzymes involved in synthesizing proteins and lipids and processing sugars are located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), a large continuous membrane that serves as a hub for protein synthesis and metabolic regulation. We recently discovered that the layout of the ER and how it interacts with the mitochondria changes with nutritional states and that this remodeling is central for the regulation of cellular energy production. Now, using cutting-edge methods such as volume electron microscopy, genetics, computational analysis, and proximity labeling, my group will assess whether this restructuring allows the ER to selectively deliver metabolic proteins to mitochondria, facilitating adaptation to nutrient deprivation. We will then determine whether and how this discourse between ER and mitochondria is altered in people with fatty liver disease—and whether disease treatment restores healthy architecture, findings that could lead to novel therapeutic targets for metabolic disorders.