Prof. Miriam Greenberg Earns Four Years of Support from NIH

Prof. Miriam Greenberg Earns Four Years of Support from NIH To Study the Role of Cardiolipin in the TCA Cycle and Its Implications for Barth syndrome

Aerobic eukaryotic organisms generate the chemical energy necessary for cell maintenance, growth, and repair through a linked chain of reactions in the oxidation of carbohydrates. These reactions, collectively called the Krebs Cycle, TCA cycle (Tricarboxylic Acid), or Citric Acid Cycle, take place in the mitochondrion, an intracellular organelle. The mitochondrion has two membranes, and the chemical composition of these membranes, primarily the lipids that compose the bulk of the membranes, can directly affect the functionality of the mitochondrion, and, hence, the energy available to the cell. Prof. Greenberg is a leader in the field of lipid metabolism and biogenesis. She, her students, and her collaborators have demonstrated the role of the mitochondrial lipid, cardiolipin, in mitochondrial energetics and have linked errors in cardiolipin biosynthesis to the human disease, Barth syndrome, a genetic disorder that is manifested primarily in blood and heart abnormalities. Dr. Greenberg has previously received funding from national and international granting agencies, including a recent grant from the Barth Syndrome Foundation. Recently, the NIH has recognized the novelty and importance of this work and has awarded Dr. Greenberg with a four-year grant of $1,000,000 in direct research costs.