High Resolution EM Tomography of Specialised Plasma Membrane Domains (2006-2008)

The plasma membrane, which forms the surface of the cell, acts as a crucial barrier between the cell and the outside world. The plasma membrane is a complex and dynamic organelle with distinct areas, termed microdomains, of specialised structure and function. In order to understand how these microdomains work we require an understanding of their structure at high resolution. We will develop and apply a specialised technique, termed electron microscope tomography, to build up a three-dimensional picture of cell surface microdomains called caveolae. This will provide a new detailed view of these important cellular structures which will allow us to understand how they are generated and how they function in the cell.