Autophagy

Eskelinen group: Membrane dynamics during autophagosome biogenesis

Immunofluorescence staining of the autophagosome marker LC3.
Autophagosome-TEM-larger-2-Eskelinen

What is autophagy?

Autophagy is a lysosomal degradation pathway for cytoplasmic material and organelles that maintains cellular homeostasis during nutrient deprivation and stress. Autophagy contributes to the clearance of damaged organelles and aggregate-prone proteins, protection against metabolic stress and DNA damage, and even to longevity of the organism. Defective autophagy has been connected to many human diseases including cancer, myopathies, metabolic diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. The Eskelinen research group investigates membrane dynamics during autophagy in mammalian cells. November 1st, 2017, Eeva-Liisa Eskelinen started in a new position as a professor of medical cell biology at the Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Finland. The pre-existing Eskelinen group will continue at the University of Helsinki until August 2019 or even longer, but new group members will be mainly recruited to the University of Turku.
Read more on our research

Transautophagy COST Action

We are part of Transautophagy COST Action CA15138, which is a European Network for Multidisciplinary Research on Autophagy, with emphasis on translation of knowledge to applications. The network has more than 200 members including researchers from public and private institutions, as well as small-medium sized enterprises, from 28 countries across Europe and neighboring regions. The network fosters collaboration by arranging and supporting training courses and scientific meetings and by funding short-term research visits between the member laboratories. COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a pan-European intergovernmental framework.
Read more on Transautophagy COST Action15138

Transautophagy COST Action15138

COST is a pan-European intergovernmental framework.

Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Innovative Training Network

Our group is member in DRIVE - Driving next generation autophagy researchers towards translation. The network consist of 15 research groups and 20 partner organizations located in Europe and Israel, and is coordinated by the University Hospital Groningen in the Netherlands. The DRIVE PhD students, one in each of the 15 research groups, will get training in basic and translational research, entrepreneurship and transferable skills. Research visits between the partner groups are an important part of the training.
Information on Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Innovative Training Networks

DRIVE-ITN

Horozon 2020 Initial Training Network

BECOME A SCIENCE GODPARENT

Support scientific breakthroughs – become a science godparent! The Science Godparent Fund has just been initiated and it is part of University’s Fund for Biological and Environmental Sciences. We need you. Get to know our research and come along – together we can make a difference. You can sponsor any of the PhD students or postdoctoral researchers in Eskelinen group.
Information on how to become a Science Godparent
Members of Eskelinen group