SANDRA NORDLIE, MA
Arizona State University MCB PhD student
The cell uses membrane bound organelles (mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum) to separate opposing reactions and provide ideal conditions for efficiency and regulation - a process called cellular compartmentalization. My thesis work in the Kruer Lab is focused on understanding the cellular mechanisms behind Coenzyme A (CoA) compartmentalization. CoA is a cofactor best known for its role in cellular metabolism including the TCA cycle and lipid metabolism. I am especially interested in how changes to compartmentalized CoA levels regulate metabolism and stress responses, and by what mechanisms this takes place. Long-term we hope our research on intracellular CoA handling will lead to new treatment options for CoA associated diseases, especially the childhood neurodegenerative diseases PKAN, CoPAN and MECREN
