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Advancing our understanding of the mechanisms that govern organelle and lipid homeostasis in health and disease

The Olzmann research group employs a combination of systems biology, chemical biology, and cell biology strategies to elucidate the principles that regulate organelle biology and cellular lipid homeostasis. We are particularly interested in understanding the regulation and functions of neutral lipid storage organelles called lipid droplets. Dysregulation of lipid droplets and lipid metabolism has been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases, including prevalent metabolic diseases (e.g. obesity and fatty liver disease) and cancer. We are also interested in dissecting the cellular mechanisms that prevent lipotoxic damage, such as the accumulation of oxidatively damaged phospholipids during ferroptosis. Leveraging chemical-genetic approaches, we seek to define ferroptosis resistance mechanisms that can be therapeutically targeted as a strategy to treat therapy-resistant forms of cancer.

RECENT NEWS

March 7, 2024
Congrats to Alyssa on her new review out in Nature Cell Biology – "Lipid droplets and cellular lipid flux

February 16, 2024

New review with Scott Dixon in Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology – "The cell biology of ferroptosis

February 13, 2024
New collaborative publication with Dohoon Kim's lab in Nature Metabolism – "Selenium reduction of ubiquinone via SQOR suppresses ferroptosis

November 29, 2023

New collaborative publication with Ron Kopito's lab in Molecular BIology of the Cell – "Small molecule correctors divert CFTR-F508del from ERAD by stabilizing sequential folding states
 
November 14, 2023
Congrats to Zhipeng and Mike on their new review out of Annual Review of Biochemistry – "Lipid quality control and ferroptosis: From concept to mechanism

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FEATURED ARTICLES

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Li et al.
Nature Chem Biol 2022

Reveals selenium metabolism and ribosome stalling as ferroptosis vulnerabilities

Bersuker et al.

Nature 2019

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Identifies the CoQ oxidoreductase FSP1 as a powerful ferroptosis suppressor in cancer

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Hendricks et al.
Cell Chem Biol 2023

Identifies FSP1 inhibitors that sensitize cancer cells to ferroptosis

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