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Kirienko Lab     - we work with worms -  

 

Contact Information

Skype: kirienkolab
Email: kirienko@rice.edu
Phone: 713-348-2581
Office: GRB Hall, W132

Armando Moreno

Armando Moreno

Research Interests:
Mitochondria are involved in a myriad of cellular processes and pathways including, but not limited to, metabolism, oxidative stress homeostasis, immune response, autophagy, and apoptosis. Mitochondrial dysfunction is also a factor in many pathologies such as, metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. There is a complex interplay between cellular homeostasis and mitochondria homeostasis that is not yet fully understood, and it is imperative for pathways involved to be uncovered to advance the understanding of cell biology as a whole.

My ongoing graduate research in Dr. Natasha Kirienko’s lab is focused on developing and enriching a gene network that is indicative of mitochondrial dysfunction. I am using cancer as a model for my research. I have conducted various and extensive assays to test genes mutated in different cancer cell lines obtained from the NCI-60 database. These assays are enriching for genes that exhibit death as a result of dysfunctional mitophagy. Our overarching objective is to use the network to uncover new pathways that are related to mitochondrial damage and study them to gain a better understanding of mitochondrial function and the various interactions within and outside of the cell.

(And cure cancer along the way, why not?)