Stress, Starvation, and Survival: A Double Membrane View

Submitted by Sandhya Sanduja (Gupta Lab) and Nicki Watson (W.M. Keck Microscopy Facility) at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research

When cells are starved for nutrients, they start a ‘self-eating’ process called autophagy. As autophagy begins, a cell engulfs and degrades its own components in ‘double-membraned’ compartments or autophagosomes. This provides an internal supply of nutrients and helps cells to survive during starvation. I am studying how autophagy helps cancer cells survive during stress.