MMS lab aims to study the molecular mechanisms of the abnormal aggregation of amyloid  proteins such as amyloid-beta, alpha-synuclein, and tau, key proteins that may trigger neurodegenerative amyloidopathies, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease among many others.

To be able to cure neurodegenerative amyloidopathies, it is crucial to comprehend the factors driving the accumulation and aggregation of amyloid proteins. However, is it is incredibly difficult to  study why amyloid protein begin to misfold and aggregate, beacuse of the transient nature and molecular complexity of these processes.

We develop and use novel interdisciplinary approaches that allow the characterization of amyloid proteins directly in their physiological conditions, in neurons and tissues.  Utilizing state-of-the-art molecular imaging technologies in conjunction with cell biology techniques, we aim to perform exciting experiments that will allow to classify amyloid structures and characterize amyloid neurotoxicity, thus visualizing them in the act of neuronal damage.

Our ambitious goals build on our recent development of super-resolution fluorescence-guided infrared spectroscopic approach that enabled structural imaging with spatial and temporal resolution in living tissues. We believe that combining different techniques applied on the same sample will allow us to gain greater insight as well as to find efficient treatments for neurodegenerative disorders.