UA Science Cafe at SaddleBrooke: Seeing the Light

Presenter: Carol Dieckmann, Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona

We work with a single-celled green algae similar to pond scum, called Chlamydomonas.  Like plants, Chlamydomonas cells make energy from sunlight. The highly organized structure inside the cell called the eyespot contains molecules that sense light. We study the eyespot as a model for understanding how cells establish up, down, left, right, and the 3D location of unique internal compartments. Assembling and placing structures accurately is important for the health of all cells/organisms. Understanding the fundamentals of cell biology is vital to understanding human biology.