Mission

We believe science is for everyone and value diversity in our members. Anyone, regardless of background, race, religion, orientation, or area of expertise, is a respected member of our community. 

Mitochondria: so much more than the powerhouse of the cell

Mitochondria are well known as the "powerhouse" of the cell due to their essential roles in energy production, but mitochondria also play important roles in regulation of the cell cycle, apoptosis, calcium homeostasis, lipid biosynthesis, and innate immunity making them important to many areas of biology and medicine. ​

​Because of their wide-ranging roles in cellular physiology, dysfunctioning mitochondria lead to progression of aging and many diseases including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, ALS, cancer, diabetes, schizophrenia, and many more.​

​We are interested in understanding the roles of mitochondria in all aspects of health and how changes in mitochondrial genomics or physiology can cause or prevent disease.

We use evolutionary mutant models - organisms with evolved adaptations that mimic something maladaptive or disease-causing in humans. We want to know what these organisms are doing right that humans are doing wrong. What can we learn from these models to treat human disease?

​Krogh's Principle

"For such a large number of problems there will be some animal of choice, or a few such animals, on which it can be most conveniently studied."

The Beck Laboratory does not focus on any specific model organism. Purely by coincidence our main research themes are currently centered on ray-finned fishes. We also have collaborations in syngnathid fishes, non-human primates, insects, and several species of plants. We are interested in any organism that allows us to tackle unique questions about mitochondrial-nuclear genomic interactions and mitochondrial physiology. Interested in collaborating? Send me an email.