Membrane trafficking lab @ UiO

– The Schink lab –

Technologies

In our lab, we combine molecular genetics, advanced imaging, and biochemical reconstitution to uncover how membrane identity and trafficking are regulated. Our integrated technology platform allows us to dissect membrane-associated processes from molecules to cells and tissues.

Genetic Engineering

We apply a wide range of genetic tools to manipulate membrane trafficking pathways:

  • CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing for knockouts, knock-ins, and endogenous tagging
  • Arrayed and pooled CRISPR screens to discover novel regulators
  • Lentiviral systems and transposon systems for stable gene delivery and rescue experiments

Physiological Models

We employ a diverse range of cellular and tissue models to investigate membrane dynamics in physiologically relevant contexts:

  • Mammalian cell culture models (standard and genetically engineered cell lines)
  • 3D organoid cultures and spheroid assays to model tumor metastasis
  • Inverted invasion assays to study cell migration and invasion
  • Virus like particles as infection models

Advanced Imaging

We operate a range of advanced light microscopy systems optimized for live-cell and high-resolution imaging:

  • Spinning disk confocal microscopy for dynamic trafficking events
  • TIRF microscopy for membrane-proximal processes
  • Custom-built single-objective light-sheet microscope (OPM “Snouty”)
  • Super-resolution microscopy (SIM, DNA-PAINT, single-molecule localization)
  • FRAP and live-cell photomanipulation for quantitative protein dynamics

Synthetic biology approachs for Membrane Manipulation

We apply synthetic tools to control and interrogate membrane organization in live cells:

  • Optogenetic control of phosphoinositide lipid pools to dynamically modulate membrane identity
  • Micropatterning approaches to spatially constrain cell shape and migration

Biochemistry and Reconstitution

We combine imaging with biochemical dissection of trafficking mechanisms:

  • Protein purification and reconstitution of membrane trafficking modules
  • Lipid-protein interaction assays to study membrane targeting and specificity
  • In vitro nucleotide binding assays
  • Proximity proteomics approaches

Quantitative Analysis

We use advanced image analysis and computational tools to extract quantitative data:

  • Tracking and vesicle trajectory analysis
  • Custom quantitative pipelines for kinetic and spatial analysis
  • Data integration into systems models of membrane identity