Education

PhD, TU Dresden, 2015

Lab information

The Miranda laboratory wants to understand how cells divide and proliferate. We want to discover new biochemical mechanisms that help cells divide when needed. In the same manner, we want to learn how cells stop whenever cell division is too dangerous and could result in irreversible cellular damage. In humans, problems in the control of cell division cause diseases such as cancer and can interfere with wound healing or the maintenance of adult stem cells. In addition, for many bacteria, parasitic organisms, and agricultural pests, the capacity to stop cell division and enter dormant or quiescent states is critical for becoming resistant to antibiotics and pesticides. Thus, understanding how cells activate or stop their cell division machinery promises to advance both biomedical and agricultural knowledge.

To analyze dividing and dormant cells, we use a unique combination of computer vision, genetics, and biochemistry. We track individual cells as they enter or exit from cell division using custom-made deep learning pipelines for image analysis. The information derived from monitoring single cells is processed using machine learning algorithms to cluster data sets, identify correlations, and infer causality in intracellular biological networks. Machine learning-inspired hypotheses are then tested using biochemical and genetic tools in model fungal organisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Colletotrichum acutatum, Verticillium dahliae, Ustilago maydis, and more.
https://sites.google.com/ncsu.edu/miranda-lab-ncsu/home?authuser=0

Research focus

Cellular dormancy, quiescence, computer vision, deep learning image analysis, generative artificial intelligence.

Publications