MEET THE DIBIO SCIENTIST SERIES : JONATHAN LAMBERT

Pubblicato il: 19.01.2021 09:14

Giorgio is an EMBO post-doctoral fellow

Website: @Sweetwaterbeat

Can you summarize in few words your research?

My research in Prof. Luca Scorrano’s lab focuses on determining the metabolic sensing capability of mitochondrial cristae. Specifically, I am investigating if metabolic sources or metabolic machinery regulate inner mitochondrial membrane dynamics or morphology in an OPA1 dependent manner.

What is the most rewarding and the most challenging part of your work?

The most rewarding and challenging parts of science are novelty. Making a scientific discovery that impacts the field and having the privilege to travel and present findings at conferences is incredibly rewarding and purposeful work. Those moments come off the back of long, often frustrating hours of technically tenuous experiments in the lab where even just finding the start button on state-of-the-art equipment is a challenge. Actually, visualizing novel cell mechanisms for the first time is quite simply “cooler than a polar bears toenails”- Outcast and well worth the research struggles. 

Tell us your story: what brings you to DiBio?

When I was looking for a post-doc I had two requirements. As I find moving to different countries and exposing myself to new cultures incredibly rewarding having a valid passport had to be a requirement in the job description. The second was to find a post-doc position where I could be expertly trained in the field of mitochondrial biology. UniPD and DiBio are world renowned for housing leading experts in the mitochondrial field so it was an obvious choice and is meeting all my expectations.

What’s your favourite “toy” for research – and what can it do?

Our lab has access to a Zeiss laser scanning microscope with AiryScan 2 technology. This allows us to perform live cell imaging using fluorescence reporters and achieve a resolution of 120 nanometers. This is groundbreaking technology that I will use to image mitochondrial cristae dynamics.

What are your interests outside science?

Outside of science I currently enjoy attempting to learn some of the Italian language and running along the Piovego. Of course, I enjoy travelling and the Positano Coast and Palermo have been two of my favorite spots to visit so far in Italy.