Anthony Morgan

My research focuses on how cells communicate with one another and the underlying molecular signalling pathways. In particular, how the levels of the intracellular messenger, Ca²⁺, are controlled by extracellular stimuli in both time and space.

Ca²⁺ signalling is implicated in myriad cellular events, from fast processes such as neurotransmission to slow processes such as gene expression. When Ca²⁺ signalling goes wrong, disease ensues. Moreover, Ca²⁺ signalling pathways can be subverted by infectious agents to their own ends. Therefore, drugs that affect Ca²⁺ signals may therefore correct diseases or reduce infection.

My current work examines the regulation of Ca²⁺ release from intracellular Ca²⁺-storing organelles – mainly endo-lysosomes and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) – via the second messengers NAADP and IP₃. I focus on the bidirectional cross-talk between these two organelles using a combination of molecular biology and single-cell fluorescence microscopy.