The ins and outs of bacterial organelles

Abstract: Open any biology textbook and you are likely to learn that, in contrast to eukaryotes, bacteria do not contain organelles to compartmentalize and facilitate cellular functions. However, numerous protein- and lipid-bounded organelles are known to exist within a diverse array of bacterial species. In my group, we aim to understand the process of compartmentalization at a molecular level in order to understand the origins and functions of bacterial organelles and exploit them for future applications. I will discuss our work on the biogenesis and subcellular organization of the magnetic magnetosome organelles of magnetotactic bacteria and our recent discovery of ferrosomes, iron-accumulating compartments that define a novel class of bacterial organelles

Host: Anthony Vecchiarelli