Mapping Nuclear Metabolism and Its Role in Epigenetics

To function properly, cells must distribute their biochemical reactions across different subcellular compartments. Textbooks describe mitochondria as the "powerhouse" of the cell and the nucleus as the metabolically inactive genetic center. In this research project, biochemist Anne Miller and her team are challenging this view. She has found evidence that metabolic reactions also occur within the nucleus and may influence key cellular decisions. Using liver regeneration as a model, the team will be exploring which metabolic pathways are active in the nucleus and how they control cell behavior. To achieve this, they are developing new methods that allow researchers to visualize and manipulate biochemical processes with high spatial resolution. This work has the potential to fundamentally reshape our understanding of the cellular metabolism. 1/