Pint-Sized Science: The Mysterious Mitochondria

Interviewee: Dr. Katja Hansen, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Laboratory of Dr. Stirling Churchman), Harvard Medical School

Interviewer: Chris Rota, PhD Student in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard University

You might remember the mitochondria from biology class as the engine that produces the energy that cells (the smallest known units of life) need to function. Is that all mitochondria do though? What happens when mitochondria don’t function correctly? How do these tiny powerhouses actually know what to do (and when to do it) in the first place? And, lastly, how do we study the minutiae of these processes when we can’t even see mitochondria with the naked eye? Join us to find out the answers to these questions, and others, in today’s episode of Pint-Sized Science!

For more episodes, series updates, and to find out more about our group, please check out our website (sitn.hms.harvard.edu/science-by-the-pint/) for more information. Thanks for stopping by, and take care until next time!