About
We study the cellular mechanisms of mitochondrial DNA integrity and inheritance. Mitochondrial DNA defects 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. We aim to reveal the cellular mechanisms that ensure mitochondrial DNA integrity and inheritance in metazoans, using quantitative imaging, genetics and systems biology approaches.
On the web
Website: https://www.thelewislab.org/
People
Samantha Cleopatra Lewis, PhD Volunteer
Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, UC Berkeley
Bio
Samantha C. Lewis, Ph.D. is a molecular and cell biologist and Assistant Professor at the University of California, Berkeley in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area. Dr. Lewis’ research investigates how animal cells ensure the continual energy supply they need to survive, and how this goes awry in human disease. Her laboratory team focuses on mitochondria, the “powerhouse of the cell”, which harbor their own genomic blueprint called mitochondrial DNA. Dr. Lewis’ experimental approach leverages live microscopy at high spatial and temporal resolution, single-cell analyses of DNA replication and transcription, gene editing, proteomics, and genetics to reveal how cells replicate, segregate, and inherit this “neglected genome”.