Progress reports Nav02 (Annika) & Nav07 (Nathalie)

Chair: Chiara

Progress report Nav01 (Baladev) & Neu04 (Dinora)

Chair: Gül

SciLifeLab, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden

Mapping cellular redox metabolism with quantum-based sensing and spatial proteomics

Chemical reactions that involve reduction and oxidation of biological molecules lie at the heart of cell metabolism. Redox reactions are often associated with generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals, which can both participate in cellular signaling and cause oxidative damage to biomolecules. To better understand these effects, we need to know exactly when, where and in what quantities ROS and radicals are produced in the cell, as well as prerequisites, consequences and control mechanisms for their generation. During my PhD at University Medical Center Groningen, I have been developing a new all-optical quantum-based sensing system for the detection of free radicals, using diamond nanoparticles. With this new technology, we could record the changes in free radical load on the micrometer scale in a wide range of samples, from yeast to tissue slices. Surprisingly, we observed large variations in seemingly identical cells kept under the same experimental conditions. Similar heterogeneity can also be seen in the levels and spatial patterns of expression of metabolic proteins. Our hypothesis is that cells, both in culture and in tissues, can exist in distinct metabolic states. These metabolic states, similarly to the cell cycle, are maintained by intrinsic mechanisms. As part of my current research at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, I use imaging-based spatial proteomics to understand how metabolic states are established, maintained, and connected to the cell’s redox status. The goal of my research is to pinpoint the metabolic requirements for and the consequences of the controlled production of ROS and radicals by cells.

Host: Karin Dedek

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