Overview
Background
Dr Ariotti is a Senior Research Fellow and Group Leader at the University of Queensland, Australia. Nick's Lab is focused on using cell biology, structural biology, and biochemistry to understand the molecular mechanisms of endocytosis including the organization of cargo for the transport and packaging of proteins into cells and, specialises in how defects in protein trafficking, and plasma membrane organisation can result in human diseases. He completed his PhD in 2013 at the University of Queensland. He then spent 4 years postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Molecular Biosciences in Rob Parton’s laboratory where he focused on developing and applying correlative light and electron microscopy approaches to better understand endocytosis. In 2017, Dr Ariotti moved to the Electron Microscope Unit at UNSW to serve as the Associate Director of Biological EM. He spent 5 years at the Electron Microscope Unit establishing Cryo-EM and cryogenic-Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy. In 2022, Dr Ariotti returned to the IMB at UQ as an independent research group leader with a focus on developing and applying novel cryogenic correlative approaches to uncover protein structures in situ.
Availability
- Dr Nicholas Ariotti is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science (Honours), The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Membrane microdomain organisation in the endosome and on the cell surface
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The structure, composition, and function of caveolae
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Development of advanced Electron Microscopy techniques to answer questions in cell biology
Research impacts
Nick has an exceptional track record of producing high-quality transformative research that challenges long-held hypotheses and breaks new ground. He has secured competitive external funding (16 competitive grant successes), an outstanding publication profile (>75 publications; > 5000 citations), a strong record of supervision, invitations to speak at national and international conferences and a dedication to contributing to the advancement of cell biology research and electron microscopy through service on various national and international committees and associations.
He haspublished in journals such as Nature, Cell, Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Cell Biology, Nature Immunology, Nature Materials, Nature Communications, Developmental Cell, PLoS Biology, The Journal of Cell Biology, Current Biology and EMBO Journal highlighting the impact of his research.
These interests have resulted in significant high-quality publications in three related fields:
i) The structure, composition, and function of caveolae:
ii) The organsiation of membrane microdomains and signalling molecules on the cell surface and within endosomes:
ii) Development of advanced Electron Microscopy techniques to answer questions in cell biology.
Works
Search Professor Nicholas Ariotti’s works on UQ eSpace
2022
Journal Article
Green Stealth Engineering of Lifetime-Biocatalytic Nanocatalyst for Neuroblastoma Therapy
Mehmood, Rashid, Amaldoss, Maria J. N., Mofarah, Sajjad S., Zheng, Qinxiang, Kaushik, Natasha K., Ariotti, Nicholas, Rawal, Aditya, Yang, Jia-Lin, Koshy, Pramod and Sorrell, Charles C. (2022). Green Stealth Engineering of Lifetime-Biocatalytic Nanocatalyst for Neuroblastoma Therapy. Applied Surface Science, 572 151464, 151464. doi: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.151464
2022
Journal Article
SNX9-induced membrane tubulation regulates CD28 cluster stability and signalling
Ecker, Manuela, Schregle, Richard, Kapoor-Kaushik, Natasha, Rossatti, Pascal, Betzler, Verena M., Kempe, Daryan, Biro, Maté, Ariotti, Nicholas, Redpath, Gregory M. I. and Rossy, Jeremie (2022). SNX9-induced membrane tubulation regulates CD28 cluster stability and signalling. eLife, 11 e67550. doi: 10.7554/eLife.67550
2021
Journal Article
Cavin4 interacts with Bin1 to promote T-tubule formation and stability in developing skeletal muscle
Lo, Harriet P., Lim, Ye-Wheen, Xiong, Zherui, Martel, Nick, Ferguson, Charles, Ariotti, Nicholas, Giacomotto, Jean, Rae, James, Floetenmeyer, Matthias, Moradi, Shayli Varasteh, Gao, Ya, Tillu, Vikas A., Xia, Di, Wang, Huang, Rahnama, Samira, Nixon, Susan J., Bastiani, Michele, Day, Ryan D., Smith, Kelly A., Palpant, Nathan J., Johnston, Wayne A., Alexandrov, Kirill, Collins, Brett M., Hall, Thomas E. and Parton, Robert G. (2021). Cavin4 interacts with Bin1 to promote T-tubule formation and stability in developing skeletal muscle. Journal of Cell Biology, 220 (12) e201905065. doi: 10.1083/jcb.201905065
2021
Journal Article
Correlative cryo-ET identifies actin/tropomyosin filaments that mediate cell-substrate adhesion in cancer cells and mechanosensitivity of cell proliferation
Cagigas, Maria Lastra, Bryce, Nicole S., Ariotti, Nicholas, Brayford, Simon, Gunning, Peter W. and Hardeman, Edna C. (2021). Correlative cryo-ET identifies actin/tropomyosin filaments that mediate cell-substrate adhesion in cancer cells and mechanosensitivity of cell proliferation. Nature Materials, 21 (1), 120-128. doi: 10.1038/s41563-021-01087-z
2021
Journal Article
Inhibition of S. aureus infection of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by trehalose- and glucose-functionalized gold nanoparticles
Li, Yimeng, Ariotti, Nicholas, Aghaei, Behnaz, Pandzic, Elvis, Ganda, Sylvia, Willcox, Mark, Sanchez-Felix, Manuel and Stenzel, Martina (2021). Inhibition of S. aureus infection of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by trehalose- and glucose-functionalized gold nanoparticles. Angewandte Chemie - International Edition, 60 (42), 22652-22658. doi: 10.1002/anie.202106544
2021
Journal Article
A robust method for particulate detection of a genetic tag for 3D electron microscopy
Rae, James, Ferguson, Charles, Ariotti, Nicholas, Webb, Richard I., Cheng, Han-Hao, Mead, James L., Riches, James D., Hunter, Dominic J.B., Martel, Nick, Baltos, Joanne, Christopoulos, Arthur, Bryce, Nicole S., Cagigas, Maria Lastra, Fonseka, Sachini, Sayre, Marcel E., Hardeman, Edna C., Gunning, Peter W., Gambin, Yann, Hall, Thomas E. and Parton, Robert G. (2021). A robust method for particulate detection of a genetic tag for 3D electron microscopy. eLife, 10 e64630, 1-17. doi: 10.7554/eLife.64630
2021
Journal Article
Cavin1 intrinsically disordered domains are essential for fuzzy electrostatic interactions and caveola formation
Tillu, Vikas A., Rae, James, Gao, Ya, Ariotti, Nicholas, Floetenmeyer, Matthias, Kovtun, Oleksiy, McMahon, Kerrie-Ann, Chaudhary, Natasha, Parton, Robert G. and Collins, Brett M. (2021). Cavin1 intrinsically disordered domains are essential for fuzzy electrostatic interactions and caveola formation. Nature Communications, 12 (1) 931, 931. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21035-4
2021
Journal Article
Caveolin-1 and cavin1 act synergistically to generate a unique lipid environment in caveolae
Zhou, Yong, Ariotti, Nicholas, Rae, James, Liang, Hong, Tillu, Vikas, Tee, Shern, Bastiani, Michele, Bademosi, Adekunle T., Collins, Brett M., Meunier, Frederic A., Hancock, John F. and Parton, Robert G. (2021). Caveolin-1 and cavin1 act synergistically to generate a unique lipid environment in caveolae. Journal of Cell Biology, 220 (3) e202005138. doi: 10.1083/jcb.202005138
2021
Journal Article
Formation of retromer transport carriers is disrupted by the Parkinson disease‐linked Vps35 D620N variant
Cui, Yi, Yang, Zhe, Flores‐Rodriguez, Neftali, Follett, Jordan, Ariotti, Nicholas, Wall, Adam A., Parton, Robert G. and Teasdale, Rohan D. (2021). Formation of retromer transport carriers is disrupted by the Parkinson disease‐linked Vps35 D620N variant. Traffic, 22 (4) tra.12779, 123-136. doi: 10.1111/tra.12779
2020
Journal Article
An inverted CAV1 (caveolin 1) topology defines novel autophagy-dependent exosome secretion from prostate cancer cells
Ariotti, Nicholas, Wu, Yeping, Okano, Satomi, Gambin, Yann, Follett, Jordan, Rae, James, Ferguson, Charles, Teasdale, Rohan D., Alexandrov, Kirill, Meunier, Frederic A., Hill, Michelle M. and Parton, Robert G. (2020). An inverted CAV1 (caveolin 1) topology defines novel autophagy-dependent exosome secretion from prostate cancer cells. Autophagy, 17 (9), 1-17. doi: 10.1080/15548627.2020.1820787
2020
Journal Article
In vivo cell biological screening identifies an endocytic capture mechanism for T-tubule formation
Hall, Thomas E., Martel, Nick, Ariotti, Nicholas, Xiong, Zherui, Lo, Harriet P., Ferguson, Charles, Rae, James, Lim, Ye-Wheen and Parton, Robert G. (2020). In vivo cell biological screening identifies an endocytic capture mechanism for T-tubule formation. Nature Communications, 11 (1) 3711, 3711. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-17486-w
2020
Journal Article
Self-assembly of fluorescent HIV capsid spheres for detection of capsid binders
Lau, Derrick, Walsh, James C., Mousapasandi, Amir, Ariotti, Nicholas, Shah, Vaibhav B., Turville, Stuart, Jacques, David A. and Böcking, Till (2020). Self-assembly of fluorescent HIV capsid spheres for detection of capsid binders. Langmuir, 36 (13), 3624-3632. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c00103
2020
Journal Article
Caveolae and lipid sorting: shaping the cellular response to stress
Parton, Robert G., Kozlov, Michael M. and Ariotti, Nicholas (2020). Caveolae and lipid sorting: shaping the cellular response to stress. Journal of Cell Biology, 219 (4) e201905071. doi: 10.1083/jcb.201905071
2019
Journal Article
Gold nanoparticles immobilised in a superabsorbent hydrogel matrix: facile synthesis and application for the catalytic reduction of toxic compounds
Alzahrani, Hassan A. H., Buckingham, Mark A., Wardley, William P., Tilley, Richard D., Ariotti, Nicholas and Aldous, Leigh (2019). Gold nanoparticles immobilised in a superabsorbent hydrogel matrix: facile synthesis and application for the catalytic reduction of toxic compounds. Chemical Communications, 56 (8), 1263-1266. doi: 10.1039/c9cc07046j
2019
Journal Article
An Abl-FBP17 mechanosensing system couples local plasma membrane curvature and stress fiber remodeling during mechanoadaptation
Echarri, Asier, Pavón, Dácil M., Sánchez, Sara, García-García, María, Calvo, Enrique, Huerta-López, Carla, Velázquez-Carreras, Diana, Viaris de Lesegno, Christine, Ariotti, Nicholas, Lázaro-Carrillo, Ana, Strippoli, Raffaele, De Sancho, David, Alegre-Cebollada, Jorge, Lamaze, Christophe, Parton, Robert G. and Del Pozo, Miguel A. (2019). An Abl-FBP17 mechanosensing system couples local plasma membrane curvature and stress fiber remodeling during mechanoadaptation. Nature Communications, 10 (1) 5828, 1-16. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-13782-2
2019
Journal Article
Flotillins promote T cell receptor sorting through a fast Rab5–Rab11 endocytic recycling axis
Redpath, Gregory M. I., Ecker, Manuela, Kapoor-Kaushik, Natasha, Vartoukian, Haig, Carnell, Michael, Kempe, Daryan, Biro, Maté, Ariotti, Nicholas and Rossy, Jérémie (2019). Flotillins promote T cell receptor sorting through a fast Rab5–Rab11 endocytic recycling axis. Nature Communications, 10 (1) 4392. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-12352-w
2019
Journal Article
The use of a personal glucose meter for detecting procalcitonin through glucose encapsulated within liposomes
Alshawawreh, Fida'a, Lisi, Fabio, Ariotti, Nicholas, Bakthavathsalam, Padmavathy, Benedetti, Tania, Tilley, Richard D. and Gooding, J. Justin (2019). The use of a personal glucose meter for detecting procalcitonin through glucose encapsulated within liposomes. Analyst, 144 (21), 6225-6230. doi: 10.1039/c9an01519a
2019
Journal Article
Colocation of Tpm3.1 and myosin IIa heads defines a discrete subdomain in stress fibres
Meiring, Joyce C. M., Bryce, Nicole S., Cagigas, Maria Lastra, Benda, Aleš, Whan, Renee M., Ariotti, Nicholas, Parton, Robert G., Stear, Jeffrey H., Hardeman, Edna C. and Gunning, Peter W. (2019). Colocation of Tpm3.1 and myosin IIa heads defines a discrete subdomain in stress fibres. Journal of Cell Science, 132 (15) jcs228916, jcs.228916. doi: 10.1242/jcs.228916
2019
Journal Article
Membrane curvature and tension control the formation and collapse of caveolar superstructures
Golani, Gonen, Ariotti, Nicholas, Parton, Robert G. and Kozlov, Michael M. (2019). Membrane curvature and tension control the formation and collapse of caveolar superstructures. Developmental Cell, 48 (4), 523-538.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.12.005
2019
Journal Article
Thiol-reactive star polymers functionalized with short ethoxy-containing moieties exhibit enhanced uptake in acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells
Bayat, Narges, McOrist, Nathan, Ariotti, Nicholas, Lai, May, Sia, Keith C. S., Li, Yuhuan, Grace, James L., Quinn, John F., Whittaker, Michael R., Kavallaris, Maria, Davis, Thomas P. and Lock, Richard B. (2019). Thiol-reactive star polymers functionalized with short ethoxy-containing moieties exhibit enhanced uptake in acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells. International Journal of Nanomedicine, 14, 9795-9808. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S220326
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Nicholas Ariotti is:
- Available for supervision
Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.
Available projects
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Structural and Molecular Characterisation of Chikungunya Virus Replication Organelles
The Ariotti Group applies correlative microscopy to investigate the replication cycle of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a single-stranded, positive-sense alphavirus. CHIKV forms distinct plasma membrane–associated RNA replication organelles termed spherules, yet the identity and role of host factors recruited to these domains remain poorly understood. This project will develop new tools to selectively label and target CHIKV recplication organelle enriched sites for high-resolution and molecular analyses. These studies aim to elucidate how CHIKV co-opts host factors for viral amplification.
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Structural Analysis of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases in situ
The Ariotti Lab has established a novel structural pipeline integrating cell-free protein expression with cryo-correlative light and electron tomography (cryo-CLEM) and sub-tomogram averaging. This platform has already yielded the first full-length structure of the filamentous form of ASC (Apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD) (bioRxiv). This project will extend will investigate receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) Despite their critical roles in signalling, the endosomal organisation of RTKs during protein trafficking remains poorly understood.
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Tools for whole animal correlative targeting of cells of interest
In collaboration with the Parton Group (IMB, University of Queensland), this project will advance correlative imaging approaches to investigate zebrafish macrophages during bacterial infection. The Parton Group have developed infection assays and high-throughput correlative microscopy workflows linking light microscopy with X-ray microscopy and volume electron imaging. The Ariotti Group will focus on developing automated multimodal correlation pipelines to achieve accurate, unbiased, and rapid three-dimensional registration across imaging modalities.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Multi-modal, high-resolution analysis of neural tube development
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Mel White
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Doctor Philosophy
Dissecting the bacterial cell envelope for antibiotic drug discovery
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Rob Capon, Professor Waldemar Vollmer
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Doctor Philosophy
Functional Analysis of Caveolae
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Harriet Lo, Professor Robert Parton
Completed supervision
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2017
Doctor Philosophy
Cell-free caveola formation as a system for high throughput interaction analysis
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Robert Parton
Media
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