Gladfelter studies the spatial organization of
multinucleate cells, including
syncitia, cells with many
nuclei that share a common
cytoplasm. Her lab at UNC Chapel Hill is broadly interested in understanding why syncytia have arisen in diverse contexts within the
tree of life.[7][8][9][10] Syncytial cells are found throughout the human body, including in
bone,
blood,
muscle, and
placental tissue, and throughout the natural world, including in
fungi,
algae and in many animals during their development. Many
tumors become syncytial, while certain
viruses, including
SARS-CoV-2, can induce cells to fuse.
Additionally, Gladfelter studies the
assembly of the
septin cytoskeleton and how aberrant septin
structure affects its function.[11][12][13][14][15][16] Her research program uses microscopy, biophysical and genetic approaches to study cell biology.
Education
Amy Gladfelter trained at
Princeton University (AB) with
Bonnie Bassler, at
Duke University (Ph.D.) with Daniel Lew and at
UniBasel Biozentrum (post-doc) with Peter Philippsen before starting her independent career at Dartmouth in the Biological Sciences department in 2006, where she remained until 2016.
Cell biology research
The two main research focuses of the Gladfelter lab are how the cytoplasm is spatially organized and how cells sense their own geometry. Her team uses a variety of model systems to study syncytia, including Ashbya gossypii,Neurospora crassa,myotubes and the
syncytiotrophoblast of human
placenta to study the architecture of the cytoplasm. Gladfelter is also seeking out new fungal systems derived from the marine environment that are
extremophiles and show morphologic characteristics not found in more conventional model systems.[17]
Gladfelter made the discovery that the nuclei of the
multinucleate fungusAshbya gossypii, despite sharing the same
cytoplasm, progress through the
cell cycle independently.[18] This has led to further work uncovering how
liquid-liquid phase separation of RNAs and proteins can permit autonomy among syncytial nuclei and help to establish cell polarity. Recently, the lab has begun examining phase separation in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with a focus on understanding mechanisms of viral packaging.
Another area that Gladfelter's lab explores is how cells sense their shape.[7] Gladfelter and her lab have extensively studied the ability of a conserved family of proteins called
septins, which localize to areas of the cell that change shape or are highly curved, to sense cell curvature.[19][20][21]
Gladfelter studies the spatial organization of
multinucleate cells, including
syncitia, cells with many
nuclei that share a common
cytoplasm. Her lab at UNC Chapel Hill is broadly interested in understanding why syncytia have arisen in diverse contexts within the
tree of life.[7][8][9][10] Syncytial cells are found throughout the human body, including in
bone,
blood,
muscle, and
placental tissue, and throughout the natural world, including in
fungi,
algae and in many animals during their development. Many
tumors become syncytial, while certain
viruses, including
SARS-CoV-2, can induce cells to fuse.
Additionally, Gladfelter studies the
assembly of the
septin cytoskeleton and how aberrant septin
structure affects its function.[11][12][13][14][15][16] Her research program uses microscopy, biophysical and genetic approaches to study cell biology.
Education
Amy Gladfelter trained at
Princeton University (AB) with
Bonnie Bassler, at
Duke University (Ph.D.) with Daniel Lew and at
UniBasel Biozentrum (post-doc) with Peter Philippsen before starting her independent career at Dartmouth in the Biological Sciences department in 2006, where she remained until 2016.
Cell biology research
The two main research focuses of the Gladfelter lab are how the cytoplasm is spatially organized and how cells sense their own geometry. Her team uses a variety of model systems to study syncytia, including Ashbya gossypii,Neurospora crassa,myotubes and the
syncytiotrophoblast of human
placenta to study the architecture of the cytoplasm. Gladfelter is also seeking out new fungal systems derived from the marine environment that are
extremophiles and show morphologic characteristics not found in more conventional model systems.[17]
Gladfelter made the discovery that the nuclei of the
multinucleate fungusAshbya gossypii, despite sharing the same
cytoplasm, progress through the
cell cycle independently.[18] This has led to further work uncovering how
liquid-liquid phase separation of RNAs and proteins can permit autonomy among syncytial nuclei and help to establish cell polarity. Recently, the lab has begun examining phase separation in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with a focus on understanding mechanisms of viral packaging.
Another area that Gladfelter's lab explores is how cells sense their shape.[7] Gladfelter and her lab have extensively studied the ability of a conserved family of proteins called
septins, which localize to areas of the cell that change shape or are highly curved, to sense cell curvature.[19][20][21]