Research summary
For nearly two centuries, scientists believed that cells were organized by membrane-bound organelles. Organelles are subcellular structures that have one or more specific jobs within a cell. However, the recent discovery of cellular compartments that lack delimiting membranes has sparked a revolution in cell biology. These membrane-less organelles are found everywhere, from bacteria to yeast to humans, yet many questions about them remain.
Dr. Stephanie Weber, Canada Research Chair in Spatial Organization of Living Systems, aims to identify the physical and molecular mechanisms that regulate organelles, which play a role in many human diseases. She and her research team are using the unique properties of three diverse organisms-bacteria, algae and worms-to determine fundamental principles that apply to all living things.