PhD Defence Irene Martina Geertruida Maria Hemel

Keywords: Mitochondria, Imaging, Microscopy, MRI 
 

"Imaging Mitochondria from Dynamics to Brain"

Mitochondria are present in all our cells; they provide energy, regulate calcium amounts, and ensure the survival of cells. This thesis used imaging and computer analyses to better understand how mitochondria function.  

Imaging can provide insights into mitochondrial structure, behaviour, and shows how they interact with other components of the cell. This research highlights why precise measurements of mitochondrial shape is important and  uncovers a connection between mitochondrial shape and a cell support structure called intermediate filaments. Furthermore, it demonstrates that a “pearl-necklace” mitochondrial shape was actually an imaging induced artifact. On a larger scale, brain imaging suggests subtle cerebral blood flow changes in individuals who carry a POLG mutation, though the effect was not statistically significant. While preliminary, these observations may help researchers to better understand the development and progression of mitochondrial diseases. 

This thesis demonstrates the importance of studying mitochondria at multiple levels - from small structures to whole organs - and shows that combining experiments with computational models provides new insights into these essential cell components. 

Click here for the live stream.