Mechanical regulation of membrane curvature during endocytosis (P12)

• Subject Area: Biophysics
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 511488495

This project aims to understand how environmental and cellular stiffness influence membrane curvature during endocytosis, a process involving dynamic membrane changes and protein-lipid rearrangement. By employing biophysical and molecular biology methods, including force microscopy, the project seeks to elucidate how cell surface mechanics affect protein recruitment and stabilize endocytic structures, enhancing our understanding of membrane remodeling, which is significant for drug delivery and nanoparticle uptake strategies.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1638: Cellular membrane remodelling – how changing form creates function
• Applicant Institution: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
• Project Heads: Professorin Dr. Elisabetta Ada Cavalcanti-Adam; Dr. Alba Diz-Muñoz