Emily Harrelson

Program: Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology

Current advisor: Natalie M. Niemi, PhD

Undergraduate university: University of Missouri-Columbia, 2022

Enrollment year: 2022

Research summary
Mitochondrial Protein Phosphorylation and Turnover

Mitochondria are known as “the powerhouse” of the cell due to their role in energy carrier molecule production. These organelles contain over a thousand proteins, and many of those proteins can be phopshorylated. Less than 5% of the phosphorylation sites on mitochondrial proteins have an annotated function. Our lab studies a protein phosphatase called PPTC7 that removes phosphate groups on select mitochondrial proteins. It also plays a role in a process called “mitophagy” where the whole mitochondria is turned over by autophagic machinery. My project sets out to understand conditions that alter phosphorylation states of PPTC7 substrates and how PPTC7 alters mitochondrial protein turnover.

Graduate publications