Cellular Biology and Neurobiology Laboratory (Cell Biology)

Referents: Prof. Marco Biggiogera, Prof. Maria Grazia Bottone

Co-workers: Claudio Casali (RTT researcher), Gloria Milanesi (lab technician)

We study at ultrastructural level mechanisms underlying transcription control and modulation, and epigenetic control mechanisms (DNA and RNA methylation and post-translational histone modifications). The modification of chromatin structure under stressful conditions (heat shock, cold shock, oxidative stress) is analyzed both in ultrastructure and in superresolution (STED) in cellular models in vitro. The analyzes use immunocytochemical and in situ hybridization methods both in fluorescence and in TEM. Regarding the ultrastructure, the laboratory also provides support to Centro Grandi Strumenti, with negative staining, immunolabeling and ultrastructural morphology techniques.

Collaborations:

• Prof. Christoph Cremer, Kirchhoff Institute of Physics (KIP) University Heidelberg;
• Prof. Manuela Malatesta, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Biomedicina e Movimento, Università di Verona;
• Prof. Christian Schoefer, Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology (Division of Cell and Developmental Biology), Vienna;
• Prof. Dusan Cmarko, Charles University in Prague, Institute of Cellular Biology and Pathology.