U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know
Here’s how you know

**Official websites use .gov**
A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

**Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
A **lock** ( A locked padlock) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Search Query:
			MAIN MENU

																				
              Health Topics
								All Health Topics A-Z
					
													
		

		Asthma


				

															Heart-Healthy Living


				

															High Blood Pressure


				

															Sickle Cell Disease


				

															Sleep Apnea


				

															Information & Resources on COVID-19
																				
              Health Education
								Education Programs and Initiatives
					
													
		

		The Heart Truth®


				

															Learn More Breathe Better®


				

															Blood Diseases and Disorders Education Program


				

															Publications and Resources
																				
              The Science
								Research Focus Areas
					
													
		

		Blood Disorders and Blood Safety


				

															Sleep Science and Sleep Disorders


				

															Lung Diseases


				

															Health Disparities and Inequities


				

															Heart and Vascular Diseases


				

															Precision Medicine Activities


				

															Obesity, Nutrition, and Physical Activity


				

															Population and Epidemiology Studies


				

															Women’s Health


				

															Research Topics


				

															Clinical Trials


				

															All Science A-Z
																				
              Grants and Training
								Grants and Training Home


				

															Policies and Guidelines


				

															Funding Opportunities and Contacts


				

															Training and Career Development
																				
              News and Events
								News and Events Home
					
													
		

		Email Alerts


				

															All News
					
													
		

		NHLBI News


				

															NHLBI in the Press


				

															Research Features


				

															All Events
					
													
		

		Past Events


				

															Upcoming Events
																				
              About NHLBI
								About NHLBI Home
					
													
		

		Mission and Strategic Vision


				

															Leadership


				

															Divisions, Offices and Centers


				

															Advisory Committees


				

															Budget and Legislative Information


				

															Jobs and Working at the NHLBI


				

															Contact and FAQs


				

															NIH Sleep Research Plan
						
						HOME
		Search Text: Home/< Back ToThe Science/Laboratory of Structural Cell Biology
  Laboratory of Structural Cell Biology
    The laboratory of Structural Cell Biology aims to understand the molecular mechanisms governing specialized cell shapes, such as those of neurons, activated immune cells or platelets and certain cancer cells. We visualize the key factors determining different cell morphologies using in situ cellular cryo-electron tomography in combination with interdisciplinary techniques such as single-particle cryo-EM, X-ray crystallography, in vitro reconstitution and light microscopy.
The lab was initiated at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried and relocated to the NIH (NIAMS/NHLBI) in 2020.
    On This Page
    
          photo of Dr. Naoko Mizuno
  Naoko Mizuno, Ph.D.
          Senior Investigator
          Email
      Meet the Team
            Contact us
  Senior Investigator Research Interests
            
  Research Interests
              The laboratory of Structural Cell Biology aims to understand the molecular mechanisms governing specialized cell shapes, such as those of neurons, activated immune cells or platelets and certain cancer cells. We visualize the key factors determining different cell morphologies using in situ cellular cryo-electron tomography in combination with interdisciplinary techniques such as single-particle cryo-EM, X-ray crystallography, in vitro reconstitution and light microscopy. The lab was initiated in 2012 at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried and is relocated to the NIH (NIAMS/NHLBI joint appointment) in 2020.

Neuronal cell formation: Neuronal cell formation is a distinctive example of specialized cells. To connect the distal end of the nervous system to the central brain, cells are shaped in an extremely polarized fashion, with a long stem part, axon, shaped by microtubules. To create a neural network, individual cells form branching points from the axon as connection points. At the axon branching points, membrane receptors respond to extra-cellular cues, starting a directed signaling cascade. This action results in the remodeling of the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton. Dynamic crosstalk of membrane, actin and microtubules are implicated in axon branch formation. We aim to elucidate the molecular action governing this cellular event.

Wound healing and immunological cell formation: Platelets and immune cells undergo dynamic morphological changes during activation to adhere to each other or to specific target antigens. Although the molecular bases of the actions are similar to the ones of neuronal cell formation, the morphological outcome can vary drastically. For example, activated platelets produce spikes of filopodia on the surface, resembling the shape of a sunflower. We aim to understand the molecular re-organization during the activation process. We further study signaling defects that cause immunodeficiencies or problems with wound healing to identify molecular clues for cellular defects.

Bottom-up reconstitution: The underlying molecular mechanisms and the signaling processes governing cell shape formation are challenging to elucidate within a cell due to their complexity and diverse crosstalk with other pathways. To precisely understand the molecular functions of key components, we are taking a bottom-up approach to reconstitute and investigate the macromolecular machinery that can mimic cell shape formation processes using biophysical and structural biological methods. The functional relevance learned from the in vitro reconstitution analysis is then validated inside cells by mutagenesis and in situ analysis.
  Featured Publications
                Direct Cryo-ET observation of platelet deformation induced by SARS-CoV-2 spike protein
            Authors:Kuhn CC, Basnet N, Bodakuntla S, Alvarez-Brecht P, Nichols S, Martinez-Sanchez A, Agostini L, Soh YM, Takagi J, Biertümpfel C, Mizuno N.
                                                                                                                        
            Nat Commun.
      
                2023 Feb 04;14(1):620
        Read Publication
                      The Architecture of Talin1 Reveals an Autoinhibition Mechanism.
            Authors:Dedden D, Schumacher S, Kelley CF, Zacharias M, Biertümpfel C, Fässler R, Mizuno N
                                                                                                                        
            Cell
      
                2019 Sep 19;179(1):120-131
        Read Publication
                      In situ cryo-electron tomography reveals local cellular machineries for axon branch development
            Authors:Nedozralova H, Basnet N, Ibiricu I, Bodakuntla S, Biertümpfel C, Mizuno N.
                                                                                                                        
            J Cell Biol.
      
                2022 Apr 04;221(4):
        Read Publication
                      Direct Induction of Microtubule Branching by Microtubule Nucleation Factor SSNA1.
            Authors:Basnet N, Crevenna AH, Taschner M, Bodakuntla S, Cardone G, Magiera MM, Biertümpfel C, Janke C, Mizuno N
                                                                                                                        
            Nat Cell Biol.
      
                2018 Sep 24;20(10):1172-1180
        Read Publication
                      Structural insights into integrin α5β1 opening by fibronectin ligand.
            Authors:Schumacher S, Dedden D, Nunez RV, Matoba K, Takagi J, Biertümpfel C, Mizuno N.
                                                                                                                        
            Sci Adv.
      
                2021 May 07;7(19):eabe9716
        Read Publication
                                View More Publications
  Meet the Team

    photo of Dr. Naoko Mizuno

            Naoko Mizuno, Ph.D.
                Senior Investigator
                Naoko Mizuno graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1999, and received her Ph.D. in biophysics from the University of Tokyo/University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 2005. Prior to joining the NHLBI, she spent 8 years as an independent group leader at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried in Germany. Dr. Mizuno received several European awards and honors, including EMBO Young Investigators award, Boehringer Ingelheim Stiftung Plus3 programme, and ERC consolidator grant. Dr. Mizuno serves as an editor of FEBS letter, evaluator for H2020 program of European Union.
    
          Contact the lab
    50 South DriveBethesda, MD 20814United States
        Phone:
                Fax:
  Christian Biertuempfel
    
            Christian Biertuempfel, Ph.D.
        

    Staff Scientist
            Lorenzo Agostini
    
            Lorenzo Agostini, M.S.
        

    Predoctoral Fellow
            Satish Bodakuntla
    
            Satish Bodakuntla, Ph.D.
        

    Postdoctoral Fellow
            Thien Van Truong
    
            Thien Van Truong, Ph.D.
        

    Postdoctoral Fellow
            Pelayo Alvarez Brecht
    
            Pelayo Alvarez Brecht, M.S.
        

    Predoctoral Fellow
            King Cada
    
            King Cada, Ph.D.
        

    Postdoctoral Fellow
            Victor Vasquez Montes
    
            Victor Vasquez Montes, Ph.D.
        

    Postdoctoral Fellow
            Jenny Ding, Research Fellow
    
            Jenny Ding, Ph.D.
        

    Research Fellow
            Sophie Hesketh, Postdoctoral Fellow
    
            Sophie Hesketh, Ph.D.
        

    Postdoctoral Fellow
            Dalia Fantini, Postbaccalaureate Fellow
    
            Dalia Fantini, B.S.
        

    Postbaccalaureate Fellow
            Eve Gibbs, UGSP Fellow
    
            Eve Gibbs
        

    Undergraduate Scholarship Program (UGSP) Fellow
            Daniel Tellez-Fanner, High School Intern
    
            Daniel Tellez-Fanner
        

    High School Intern
            Julia Marelli, Postbaccalaureate Fellow
    
            Julia Marelli
        

    Postbaccalaureate Fellow
            Zan Chaudhry, Postbaccalaureate Fellow
    
            Zan Chaudhry
        

    Postbaccalaureate Fellow
                    Load more members
  
  Alumni
        

Julia Adam, Ph.D.
        

    Ph.D. Student
                                        2012

      -
            2016
        Julia Adam, Ph.D. is currently at Industry, Germany.
      Justine Witosch, Ph.D.
        

    Ph.D. Student
                                        2012

      -
            2015
        Justine Witosch, Ph.D. is currently a Group Leader  at Boehringer Ingelheim, Germany.
      Dirk Dedden, Ph.D.
        

    Ph.D. student/Postdoctoral Fellow
                                        2013

      -
            2020
        Dirk Dedden, Ph.D. is currently a Project Scientist  at PROTEROS Biostructures, Germany .
      Qianmin Wang, Ph.D.
        

    Postdoctoral Fellow
                                        2013

      -
            2018
        Qianmin Wang, Ph.D. is currently a Associate Professor  at Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, China.
      Stephanie Schumacher, Ph.D.
        

    Ph.D. Student
                                        2015

      -
            2021
        Stephanie Schumacher, Ph.D. is currently a Scientist at Rosche.
      Charlotte Kelley, Ph.D.
        

    Postdoctoral Fellow
                                        2017

      -
            2020
        Charlotte Kelley, Ph.D. is currently a Scientist, Molecular and Cellular Condensate Biology at Transition Bio.
      Alexandra Neagoe, M.S.
        

    Post Bachelor Intern
                                        2017

      -
            2018
        Alexandra Neagoe, M.S. is currently a Project Leader in Laboratory Services at Microcoat Biotechnologie GmbH.
      Rebecca Moore, M.S.
        

    Post Bachelor Intern
                                        2017

      -
            2018
        Rebecca Moore, M.S. is currently a PhD Student  at Newcastle University, UK.
      Iosune Ibiricu, Ph.D.
        

    Staff Scientist
                                        2018

      -
            2020
        Iosune Ibiricu, Ph.D. is currently a Staff Scientist  at Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany.
      Hana Nedozralova, Ph.D.
        

    Ph.D. Student
                                        2018

      -
            2021
        Hana Nedozralova, Ph.D. is currently a Postdoc at CEITEC, Czech Republic.
      Nirakar Basnet, Ph.D.
        

    Ph.D. student/Postdoctoral Fellow
                                        2014

      -
            2022
        Nirakar Basnet, Ph.D. is currently a Postdoc at Institute for Protein Innovation, USA.
      Roberto Jareth Vazquez Nunez, Ph.D.
        

    Postdoctoral Fellow
                                        2020

      -
            2021
        Roberto Jareth Vazquez Nunez, Ph.D. is currently a Postdoc at MIT.
      Scott Nichols, M.S.
        

    Postbaccalaureate Fellow
        Scott Nichols, M.S. is currently a Medical Student at Georgetown University.
      Kenichiro Taira, M.D., Ph.D.
        

    Postdoctoral Fellow
                                        2020

      -
            2023
        Kenichiro Taira, M.D., Ph.D. is currently a Assistant Professor at University of Tokyo.
      Yurika Yamada, Ph.D.
        

    Postdoctoral Fellow
                                        2020

      -
            2023
        Yurika Yamada, Ph.D. is currently a working at J.T., Japan.
      Christopher Kuhn, Ph.D.
        

    Postdoctoral Fellow
                                        2018

      -
            2023
        Christopher Kuhn, Ph.D. is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany.
      Ryan Anderson, B.S.
        

    Postbaccalaureate Fellow
        Ryan Anderson, B.S. is currently a Ph.D. student at University of Pennsylvania.
      John Pinion, B.S.
        

    Postbaccalaureate Fellow
                                        2021

      -
            2023
        John Pinion, B.S. is currently a M.D. student at University of Cincinnati.
      Youngmin  Soh, Ph.D.
        

    Postdoctoral Fellow
                                        2021

      -
            2023
      Thomas (TJ) Krzystek, Ph.D.
        

    Shared postdoc fellow with Zhigang He
                                        2022

      -
            2023
        Thomas (TJ) Krzystek, Ph.D. is currently a Scientist at ALS Therapy Development Institute.

          Load more alumni
Laboratory of Structural Cell Biology staff

            Laboratory of Structural Cell Biology staff photo Back To Top Link
  

        

        Back to top
  Web Policies & Notices
  

        

              Accessibility
                      No FEAR Act Data
                      Privacy Policy
                      Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
                      HHS Vulnerability Disclosure
    
          Related Government Websites
  

        

              Health and Human Services
                      National Institutes of Health
                      Office of the Inspector General
                      USA.gov
    
          Stay Connected
    
      
            chat bubblesLive ChatLive Chat with us, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST.envelopeGet Email AlertsReceive automatic alerts about NHLBI related news and highlights from across the Institute.
  Footer Bottom
  

        



Contact Us
                            Site Index
                            Jobs