How do cells divide – and what do mitochondria have to do with it?
In the Piano Lab, we zoom in on the tiny but mighty powerhouses of the cell to uncover how mitochondrial behavior shapes one of the most fundamental processes of life: cell division.
Every time a human cell divides, it must not only duplicate and segregate its genetic material, but also ensure that its essential organelles are properly remodeled and inherited. This choreography is extraordinarily complex. Yet, despite decades of research on mitosis, we still understand surprisingly little about how mitochondria change shape, position themselves, and communicate with other cellular structures as a cell commits to making two daughters.
Our research sits at the intersection of structural biology, biochemistry, and cell biology, and focuses on a central question:
How are mitochondrial dynamics regulated throughout the cell cycle, and how do these dynamics influence the accuracy and outcome of mitosis?
Why mitochondrial dynamics matter
Mitochondria continuously divide, fuse, and reposition within the cell. During mitosis, this dynamic network undergoes dramatic reorganization. When these processes fail, the consequences can be profound:
- Chromosome instability, due to impaired spindle assembly or metaphase alignment
- Cellular aging (senescence), triggered by disrupted mitochondrial function
- Cell death, when structural or metabolic defects cannot be compensated
Errors in mitochondrial remodeling can ultimately determine the fate and fitness of the daughter cells. Understanding this hidden layer of mitotic regulation is essential for basic biology and for diseases where both cell division and mitochondrial function go awry, including cancer, neurodegeneration, and premature aging syndromes.
What we aim to discover
Our goal is to unravel how cells coordinate:
- mitochondrial segregation and inheritance,
- the organization and timing of mitotic events,
- and the faithful distribution of chromosomes.
By identifying the molecular players and regulatory switches that guide mitochondrial behavior during division, we hope to reveal principles that govern how cells maintain identity, function, and genomic stability.
How we study it
We combine complementary approaches to capture these processes at multiple scales:
- in vitro reconstitution to dissect molecular interactions,
- cryo-electron and advanced light microscopy to visualize structural transitions,
- biochemical and cellular assays to test mechanistic hypotheses in living cells.
Working across these methods allows us to move seamlessly from molecules to cells—and to build a mechanistic framework for mitochondrial control during mitosis.
Our environment
The Piano Lab is based at the Institute of Human Genetics at the University of Cologne, within a vibrant research ecosystem. Our work is supported by national and international funding bodies. Above all, we are driven by curiosity, committed to mentoring the next generation, and passionate about cultivating a collaborative and inclusive lab environment where creative science thrives.