Georg Borner

Eukaryotic cells are compartmentalised into a complex array of membrane-bound organelles. The exchange of contents between organelles is tightly regulated, and mostly relies on vesicular or tubular transport intermediates. A growing number of human genetic disorders are associated with defects in protein trafficking machinery, including many forms of congenital intellectual disability and progressive spastic paraplegia. Our group has two main areas of interest: the development of a universal ‘proteomic microscope’ that allows us to study protein subcellular localization and its dynamics at the whole cell level; and the application of proteomics and other approaches to open questions in protein transport, with a particular focus on uncovering the molecular mechanisms of trafficking-related diseases.