Dr Helen Foster
- Position
- Lecturer in cryo-electron tomography
- Areas of expertise
- Cryo-electron microscopy, Cytoskeleton, Intracellular transport, Structural Cell Biology
- [email protected]
- Location
- Astbury 8.111
- Faculty
- Biological Sciences
- School
- Molecular and Cellular Biology
Introduction
Our group is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms behind how cells control their shape and internal organisation. Specifically, we want to understand how the microtubule cytoskeleton is remodelled and how this is used by molecular motors during immune activation. We work across molecular and cellular scales, combining powerful imaging techniques such as cryo-electron tomography (which allows us to directly visualise biomolecules within cells and tissues) with cellular assays and biochemical analysis of protein complexes. Our goal is to improve our understanding of how healthy immune cells work and how this is disrupted in disease – this will ultimately provide new avenues for treatment of autoimmune conditions and immune deficiencies.
Current major projects:
- Understanding how the microtubule and actin cytoskeletons are coupled and co-regulated during immune activation.
- Identifying and characterising intracellular transport factors which control the spatial organisation of membrane-bound components in immune cells.