Dr Merja Joensuu
Dr

Merja Joensuu

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 334 64598

Background

I received PhD (with distinction) in 2014 from The Institute of Biotechnology at The University of Helsinki, Finland, studying membrane trafficking using advanced imaging techniques. In 2015, I relocated to The Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) at The University of Queensland (UQ), Brisbane, Australia for postdoctoral training and changed my research field from basic cell biology to neuroscience and super-resolution imaging. I was awarded a 3-year Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Fellowship (2016) and an ARC DECRA Award (2019) to study the role of a lipid modifying enzyme on neuronal function. In 2022, I became a UQ Amplify Fellow and Group Leader at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), UQ. My lab aims to understand two central biological questions: how lipid metabolism in the brain supports neuronal energy metabolism, cognition, learning and memory, and how bidirectional modulation of neuronal lipid functions can be used as a therapeutic strategy for inherited neurodevelopmental disorders, neuroparalytic disorders caused by bacterial toxins and infectious diseases cause by neurotropic and respiratory viruses.

Availability

Dr Merja Joensuu is:
Available for supervision

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Helsinki*

Research impacts

My laboratory focuses on how lipids and proteins affect cellular and neuronal membrane trafficking and energy metabolism, and how neurotoxins and viruses exploit cellular endocytic machinery to gain access into cells. We use in vitro cell and primary neuron cultures as our main model system, allowing us to address the effects of pharmacological perturbations and genetic disease conditions on cellular functions. My team uses a combination of imaging techniques, including electron microscopy, confocal imaging and live-cell super-resolution microscopy, as well as molecular approaches, to understand how cells function in health and disease, which is critical for discovering novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of disease, viral infections and neurointoxication pathologies.

Search Professor Merja Joensuu’s works on UQ eSpace

36 works between 2007 and 2024
All (36) Journal Article (26) Book Chapter (2) Conference Publication (4) Other Outputs (4)

1 - 20 of 36 works

Featured

2024

Journal Article

Dynamin1 long- and short-tail isoforms exploit distinct recruitment and spatial patterns to form endocytic nanoclusters

Jiang, Anmin, Kudo, Kye, Gormal, Rachel S., Ellis, Sevannah, Guo, Sikao, Wallis, Tristan P., Longfield, Shanley F., Robinson, Phillip J., Johnson, Margaret E., Joensuu, Merja and Meunier, Frédéric A. (2024). Dynamin1 long- and short-tail isoforms exploit distinct recruitment and spatial patterns to form endocytic nanoclusters. Nature Communications, 15 (1) 4060, 1-21. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-47677-8

Dynamin1 long- and short-tail isoforms exploit distinct recruitment and spatial patterns to form endocytic nanoclusters

Featured

2024

Journal Article

The DDHD2-STXBP1 interaction mediates long-term memory via generation of saturated free fatty acids

Akefe, Isaac O, Saber, Saber H., Matthews, Benjamin, Venkatesh, Bharat G., Gormal, Rachel S., Blackmore, Daniel G., Alexander, Suzy, Sieriecki, Emma, Gambin, Yann, Bertran-Gonzalez, Jesus, Vitale, Nicolas, Humeau, Yann, Gaudin, Arnaud, Ellis, Sevannah A., Michaels, Alysee A., Xue, Mingshan, Cravatt, Benjamin, Joensuu, Merja, Wallis, Tristan P. and Meunier, Frédéric A. (2024). The DDHD2-STXBP1 interaction mediates long-term memory via generation of saturated free fatty acids. The EMBO Journal, 43 (4), 533-567. doi: 10.1038/s44318-024-00030-7

The DDHD2-STXBP1 interaction mediates long-term memory via generation of saturated free fatty acids

Featured

2023

Journal Article

Presynaptic targeting of botulinum neurotoxin type A requires a tripartite PSG‐Syt1 ‐ SV2 plasma membrane nanocluster for synaptic vesicle entry

Joensuu, Merja, Syed, Parnayan, Saber, Saber H., Lanoue, Vanessa, Wallis, Tristan P., Rae, James, Blum, Ailisa, Gormal, Rachel S., Small, Christopher, Sanders, Shanley, Jiang, Anmin, Mahrhold, Stefan, Krez, Nadja, Cousin, Michael A., Cooper‐White, Ruby, Cooper‐White, Justin J., Collins, Brett M., Parton, Robert G., Balistreri, Giuseppe, Rummel, Andreas and Meunier, Frédéric A. (2023). Presynaptic targeting of botulinum neurotoxin type A requires a tripartite PSG‐Syt1 ‐ SV2 plasma membrane nanocluster for synaptic vesicle entry. The EMBO Journal, 42 (13) e112095, e112095. doi: 10.15252/embj.2022112095

Presynaptic targeting of botulinum neurotoxin type A requires a tripartite PSG‐Syt1 ‐ SV2 plasma membrane nanocluster for synaptic vesicle entry

Featured

2020

Journal Article

Neuropilin-1 facilitates SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and infectivity

Cantuti-Castelvetri, Ludovico, Ojha, Ravi, Pedro, Liliana D., Djannatian, Minou, Franz, Jonas, Kuivanen, Suvi, van der Meer, Franziska, Kallio, Katri, Kaya, Tuğberk, Anastasina, Maria, Smura, Teemu, Levanov, Lev, Szirovicza, Leonora, Tobi, Allan, Kallio-Kokko, Hannimari, Österlund, Pamela, Joensuu, Merja, Meunier, Frédéric A., Butcher, Sarah J., Winkler, Martin Sebastian, Mollenhauer, Brit, Helenius, Ari, Gokce, Ozgun, Teesalu, Tambet, Hepojoki, Jussi, Vapalahti, Olli, Stadelmann, Christine, Balistreri, Giuseppe and Simons, Mikael (2020). Neuropilin-1 facilitates SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and infectivity. Science, 370 (6518) abd2985, 856-860. doi: 10.1126/science.abd2985

Neuropilin-1 facilitates SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and infectivity

2017

Journal Article

Visualizing endocytic recycling and trafficking in live neurons by subdiffractional tracking of internalized molecules

Joensuu, Merja, Martinez-Marmol, Ramon, Padmanabhan, Pranesh, Glass, Nick R., Durisic, Nela, Pelekanos, Matthew, Mollazade, Mahdie, Balistreri, Giuseppe, Amor, Rumelo, Cooper-White, Justin J., Goodhill, Geoffrey J. and Meunier, Frederic A. (2017). Visualizing endocytic recycling and trafficking in live neurons by subdiffractional tracking of internalized molecules. Nature Protocols, 12 (12), 2590-2622. doi: 10.1038/nprot.2017.116

Visualizing endocytic recycling and trafficking in live neurons by subdiffractional tracking of internalized molecules

2016

Journal Article

Subdiffractional tracking of internalized molecules reveals heterogeneous motion states of synaptic vesicles

Joensuu, Merja, Padmanabhan, Pranesh, Durisic, Nela, Bademosi, Adekunle T. D., Cooper-Williams, Elizabeth, Morrow, Isabel C., Harper, Callista B., Jung, WooRam, Parton, Robert G., Goodhill, Geoffrey J., Papadopulos, Andreas and Meunier, Frederic A. (2016). Subdiffractional tracking of internalized molecules reveals heterogeneous motion states of synaptic vesicles. Journal of Cell Biology, 215 (2), 277-292. doi: 10.1083/jcb.201604001

Subdiffractional tracking of internalized molecules reveals heterogeneous motion states of synaptic vesicles

2024

Journal Article

Dynamin independent endocytosis is an alternative cell entry mechanism for multiple animal viruses

Ojha, Ravi, Jiang, Anmin, Mantylae, Elina, Quirin, Tania, Modhira, Naphak, Witte, Robert, Gaudin, Arnaud, De Zanetti, Lisa, Gormal, Rachel Sarah, Vihinen-Ranta, Maija, Mercer, Jason, Suomalainen, Maarit, Greber, Urs F., Yamauchi, Yohei, Lozach, Pierre-Yves, Helenius, Ari, Vapalahti, Olli, Young, Paul, Watterson, Daniel, Meunier, Frederic A., Joensuu, Merja and Balistreri, Giuseppe (2024). Dynamin independent endocytosis is an alternative cell entry mechanism for multiple animal viruses. Plos Pathogens, 20 (11) e1012690, e1012690. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012690

Dynamin independent endocytosis is an alternative cell entry mechanism for multiple animal viruses

2024

Journal Article

SV2A controls the surface nanoclustering and endocytic recruitment of Syt1 during synaptic vesicle recycling

Small, Christopher, Harper, Callista, Jiang, Anmin, Kontaxi, Christiana, Pronot, Marie, Yak, Nyakuoy, Malapaka, Anusha, Davenport, Elizabeth C., Wallis, Tristan P., Gormal, Rachel S., Joensuu, Merja, Martínez‐Mármol, Ramón, Cousin, Michael A. and Meunier, Frédéric A. (2024). SV2A controls the surface nanoclustering and endocytic recruitment of Syt1 during synaptic vesicle recycling. Journal of Neurochemistry, 168 (9), 3188-3208. doi: 10.1111/jnc.16186

SV2A controls the surface nanoclustering and endocytic recruitment of Syt1 during synaptic vesicle recycling

2024

Journal Article

Synapsin 2a tetramerisation selectively controls the presynaptic nanoscale organisation of reserve synaptic vesicles

Longfield, Shanley F., Gormal, Rachel S., Feller, Matis, Parutto, Pierre, Reingruber, Jürgen, Wallis, Tristan P., Joensuu, Merja, Augustine, George J., Martínez-Mármol, Ramón, Holcman, David and Meunier, Frédéric A. (2024). Synapsin 2a tetramerisation selectively controls the presynaptic nanoscale organisation of reserve synaptic vesicles. Nature Communications, 15 (1) 2217, 1-18. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-46256-1

Synapsin 2a tetramerisation selectively controls the presynaptic nanoscale organisation of reserve synaptic vesicles

2023

Other Outputs

Quantified behavioural and lipidomic data in response to memory acquisition in mice

Meunier, F A, Akefe, I O, Saber, S H, Matthews, B, Venkatesh, B V, Gormal, R S, Blackmore, D G, Alexander, S, Sieriecki, E, Gambin, Y, Bertran-Gonzalez, J, Vitale, N, Humeau, Y, Gaudin, A, Ellis, S A, Michaels, A A, Xue, M, Cravatt, B, Joensuu, M and Wallis, T P (2023). Quantified behavioural and lipidomic data in response to memory acquisition in mice. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/4a44503

Quantified behavioural and lipidomic data in response to memory acquisition in mice

2023

Conference Publication

Dissection of alpha‐synuclein specific synaptic functions by gene editing

Madhivanan, Kayalvizhi, Parra‐Rivas, Leonardo A., Joensuu, Merja, Sanders, Shanley, Caballero‐Florán, René, Bingham, Dominic, Sharma, Rohan, Jenkins, Paul M., Leterrier, Christophe, Meunier, Frederic A. and Roy, Subhojit (2023). Dissection of alpha‐synuclein specific synaptic functions by gene editing. Alzheimer’s Association International Conference AAIC 2023, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 16-20 July 2023. Hoboken, NJ United States: John Wiley & Sons. doi: 10.1002/alz.082510

Dissection of alpha‐synuclein specific synaptic functions by gene editing

2023

Journal Article

Tau forms synaptic nano-biomolecular condensates controlling the dynamic clustering of recycling synaptic vesicles

Longfield, Shanley F., Mollazade, Mahdie, Wallis, Tristan P., Gormal, Rachel S., Joensuu, Merja, Wark, Jesse R., van Waardenberg, Ashley J., Small, Christopher, Graham, Mark E., Meunier, Frédéric A. and Martínez-Mármol, Ramón (2023). Tau forms synaptic nano-biomolecular condensates controlling the dynamic clustering of recycling synaptic vesicles. Nature Communications, 14 (1) 7277, 1-20. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-43130-4

Tau forms synaptic nano-biomolecular condensates controlling the dynamic clustering of recycling synaptic vesicles

2023

Conference Publication

Tau - A master regulator of recycling synaptic vesicle clustering at the presynapse

Sanders, Shanley F., Mollazade, Mahdie, Wallis, Tristan P., Gormal, Rachel S., Joensuu, Merja, Wark, Jesse R., Waardenberg, Ashley J., Small, Christopher, Graham, Mark E., Martinez-Marmol, Ramon and Meunier, Frederic A. (2023). Tau - A master regulator of recycling synaptic vesicle clustering at the presynapse. ISN-ESN 2023 Meeting, Porto, Portugal, 8 - 11 August 2023. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. doi: 10.1111/jnc.15897

Tau - A master regulator of recycling synaptic vesicle clustering at the presynapse

2023

Journal Article

Super-resolved trajectory-derived nanoclustering analysis using spatiotemporal indexing

Wallis, Tristan P., Jiang, Anmin, Young, Kyle, Hou, Huiyi, Kudo, Kye, McCann, Alex J., Durisic, Nela, Joensuu, Merja, Oelz, Dietmar, Nguyen, Hien, Gormal, Rachel S. and Meunier, Frédéric A. (2023). Super-resolved trajectory-derived nanoclustering analysis using spatiotemporal indexing. Nature Communications, 14 (1) 3353, 1-16. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-38866-y

Super-resolved trajectory-derived nanoclustering analysis using spatiotemporal indexing

2023

Other Outputs

Data for NASTIC

Wallis, Tristan P., Jiang, Anmin, Young, Kyle, Hou, Huioyi, Kudo, Kye, McCann, Alex, Durisic, Nela, Joensuu, Merja, Oelz, Dietmar, Nguyen, Hien, Gormal, Rachel S. and Meunier, Frederic A. (2023). Data for NASTIC. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/0901bca

Data for NASTIC

2023

Journal Article

SARS-CoV-2 infection of human neurons is TMPRSS2 independent, requires endosomal cell entry, and can be blocked by inhibitors of host phosphoinositol-5 kinase

Kettunen, Pinja, Lesnikova, Angelina, Räsänen, Noora, Ojha, Ravi, Palmunen, Leena, Laakso, Markku, Lehtonen, Šárka, Kuusisto, Johanna, Pietiläinen, Olli, Saber, Saber H., Joensuu, Merja, Vapalahti, Olli P., Koistinaho, Jari, Rolova, Taisia and Balistreri, Giuseppe (2023). SARS-CoV-2 infection of human neurons is TMPRSS2 independent, requires endosomal cell entry, and can be blocked by inhibitors of host phosphoinositol-5 kinase. Journal of Virology, 97 (4), e0014423. doi: 10.1128/jvi.00144-23

SARS-CoV-2 infection of human neurons is TMPRSS2 independent, requires endosomal cell entry, and can be blocked by inhibitors of host phosphoinositol-5 kinase

2023

Other Outputs

Longield et al_2023_NatComm_Raw

Gormal, Rachel, Meunier, Frederic, Martinez-Marmol, Ramon, Mollazade, Mahdie, Wallis, Tristan, Joensuu, Merja, Sanders, Shanley and Small, Christopher (2023). Longield et al_2023_NatComm_Raw. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/a9c9def

Longield et al_2023_NatComm_Raw

2023

Other Outputs

BoNT/A binding and endocytosis in primary neurons

Joensuu, Merja and Meunier, Frederic (2023). BoNT/A binding and endocytosis in primary neurons. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/06039ff

BoNT/A binding and endocytosis in primary neurons

2022

Journal Article

Ancestral SARS-CoV-2, but not Omicron, replicates less efficiently in primary pediatric nasal epithelial cells

Zhu, Yanshan, Chew, Keng Yih, Wu, Melanie, Karawita, Anjana C., McCallum, Georgina, Steele, Lauren E., Yamamoto, Ayaho, Labzin, Larisa I., Yarlagadda, Tejasri, Khromykh, Alexander A., Wang, Xiaohui, Sng, Julian D. J., Stocks, Claudia J., Xia, Yao, Kollmann, Tobias R., Martino, David, Joensuu, Merja, Meunier, Frédéric A., Balistreri, Giuseppe, Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Helle, Bowen, Asha C., Kicic, Anthony, Sly, Peter D., Spann, Kirsten M. and Short, Kirsty R. (2022). Ancestral SARS-CoV-2, but not Omicron, replicates less efficiently in primary pediatric nasal epithelial cells. PLoS Biology, 20 (8) e3001728, 1-19. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001728

Ancestral SARS-CoV-2, but not Omicron, replicates less efficiently in primary pediatric nasal epithelial cells

2021

Book Chapter

Combining single molecule super-resolution imaging techniques to unravel the nanoscale organization of the presynapse

Small, Christopher, Martínez-Mármol, Ramon, Amor, Rumelo, Meunier, Frederic A. and Joensuu, Merja (2021). Combining single molecule super-resolution imaging techniques to unravel the nanoscale organization of the presynapse. Exocytosis and endocytosis: methods and protocols. (pp. 265-286) edited by Florence Niedergang, Nicolas Vitale and Stéphane Gasman. New York, NY, United States: Humana Press. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1044-2_18

Combining single molecule super-resolution imaging techniques to unravel the nanoscale organization of the presynapse

Current funding

  • 2025 - 2029
    Super-resolution Imaging Study on Host-targeted Interventions Against Orthoflavivirus Neuroinvasion (REFINE)
    NHMRC European Union Collaborative Research Grants
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2020 - 2023
    Dendritic spine actin dysfunction in autism spectrum disorder leads to altered neurotransmitter receptor mobility
    RL Cooper Medical Research Foundation Limited
    Open grant
  • 2020
    Dynamic and molecular determinants of nanoscale organization of different synaptic vesicle pools
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2022
    A novel role for saturated fatty acids in learning and memory
    ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
    Open grant
  • 2018
    To attend the joint meeting of The American Society for Cell Biology/ The European Molecular Biology Organization (ASCB/ EMBO) in San Diego CA, US, 8-12 December 2018
    Ian Potter Foundation
    Open grant

Availability

Dr Merja Joensuu is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Bidirectional modulation of cellular saturated fatty acids as potential therapeutics for neurological conditions and viral infections

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Secretory pathway membrane trafficking and lipid metabolism in health and disease

    Principal Advisor

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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