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The Cell Biology and Metabolism Branch (CBMB) pursues studies in various
areas of cell and regulatory biology, including the mechanisms of intracellular
protein trafficking and organelle biogenesis (Juan Bonifacino, Catherine
Jackson, and Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz), the regulation of the cell
cycle during oogenesis (Mary Lilly), the biology of metal metabolism (Tracey
Rouault), and adaptive responses to environmental stresses (Gisela Storz).
The branch brings a wide array of techniques to bear on the scientific
problems under study. The CBMB has outstanding microscopy facilities with
capabilities in electron microscopy and light and fluorescence microscopy.
Three powerful confocal microscopes enhance the branch’s capacity
to study intracellular structure and dynamics, using techniques such as
imaging cells in real time, photobleaching, fluorescence resonance energy
transfer, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, and image analysis. In
addition, there are facilities for cell microinjection and micromanipulation
and automated DNA sequencing and for work with bacteria, yeast, Drosophila
melanogaster, and mammalian cells. The CBMB has continued its interest
in clinical disorders of metal metabolism, which includes an ongoing study
into a clinical and molecular description of iron overload diseases. The
CBMB also conducts research on the pathogenesis of human disorders of
lysosome-related organelles.