Join us for a biology seminar on “Understanding Mitochondrial Control of Germline Stem Cell Differentiation” presented by Harvey F. Lodish, assistant professor of biology, and Peter Kropp '12, Kenyon College. 

The Kropp Lab is interested in understanding rare mitochondrial diseases, and to do that we use the microscope worm Caenorhabditis elegans. Why a worm? Their mitochondria are essentially the same as humans, so we can study the molecular and biochemical problems arising from mitochondrial dysfunction. These worms are also multicellular, so we can study complex developmental processes that depend on mitochondrial function including the differentiation of different cell types. One of our interests is a neurodegenerative disease called MEPAN syndrome which is caused by impaired synthesis of mitochondrial fatty acids. In worms, this dysfunction causes sterility due to the failure to produce oocytes. We have found that this sterility is likely due to dysregulation of RNA-binding proteins, many of which control neuronal stem cell differentiation in humans! Our active work is to determine just how and why these mitochondrial fatty acids are necessary for RNA-binding proteins to function properly.