How molecular motors generate biological motion

The Gennerich Laboratory develops and applies advanced single-molecule and high-resolution imaging technologies to uncover how molecular motors generate force and motion inside living cells. By integrating single-molecule biophysics with molecular biology, structural biology, and genetics, we investigate the mechanisms that drive intracellular transport, cell division, and other fundamental cellular processes.

Our research focuses on the microtubule-based motor proteins cytoplasmic dynein and kinesins, which convert the chemical energy of ATP hydrolysis into mechanical work. These molecular machines transport organelles, vesicles, proteins, and RNAs throughout the cell and play essential roles in neuronal development and function. Defects in motor activity are increasingly recognized as causes of human neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders.

To dissect the mechanisms of motor proteins at the molecular level, we combine state-of-the-art single-molecule approaches—including high-resolution optical trapping, single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, and MINFLUX nanoscopy—with cryo-electron microscopy, protein engineering, and CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing. This multidisciplinary strategy enables us to directly connect molecular structure and dynamics with cellular function and disease.

Our long-term goal is to uncover the fundamental principles that govern biological motion, determine how disease-associated mutations alter motor function, and translate these insights into new therapeutic strategies for motor protein disorders.