4. Spatial & temporal regulation of Calcium in physiological & pathological conditions

With recent advance of fluorescent live-cell calcium indicators, intracellular changes of local and global calcium signals can be visualized in real-time manners. One of our talented Ph.D. students Yu-Chiao Lin has accordingly established a live-cell calcium imaging platform, with cells steadily expressing genetically-encoded calcium indicators (GECI) in different intracellular compartments including cytosol, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) & mitochondria. Using this platform we are investigating dynamic calcium interchange between ER and mitochondria. We are also exploring the functional significance of aberrant calcium signals in liver cancer & fatal cardiac arrhythmia, with the hope to develop novel treatments in those severe diseases.