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Illustration of blue and purple mitochondria.
Multifaceted Mitochondria Maintain Mystique
Tiny but mighty, the mitochondria continue to surprise scientists with new insights into their diverse roles within cells.
Multifaceted Mitochondria Maintain Mystique
Multifaceted Mitochondria Maintain Mystique

Tiny but mighty, the mitochondria continue to surprise scientists with new insights into their diverse roles within cells.

Tiny but mighty, the mitochondria continue to surprise scientists with new insights into their diverse roles within cells.

Mitochondrial function

Image from infographic showing how ultrasound waves improved motility in sperm.
Sperm Speed Up with Ultrasound
Shelby Bradford, PhD | Aug 15, 2024 | 1 min read
A team demonstrated that ultrasound waves improved motility in sperm.
A sperm and oocyte with a DNA double helix in the background
How Sperm Regulate Offspring Health
Deanna MacNeil, PhD | Aug 9, 2024 | 3 min read
A short term high fat diet before fertilization rewires sperm small RNA expression, passing predisposition to metabolic disease onto offspring.
3D Illustration of a DNA molecule breaking apart into red pieces.
Mitochondria May Have Been Wrongly Accused in DNA Damage
Shelby Bradford, PhD | Jul 11, 2024 | 4 min read
Reactive oxygen species cause mutations to DNA bases that can lead to cancer, but the long-blamed mitochondria could have been wrongfully charged.
Infographic showing the multifaceted role of mitochondria
Infographic: Mitochondria, the Cellular Processors
Danielle Gerhard, PhD | Dec 4, 2023 | 1 min read
Following decades of being called “the powerhouse of the cell,” researchers recently proposed a new description that reflects the multifaceted roles of mitochondria.
Cross-section of a blue and purple mitochondrion.
Rebranding Mitochondria
Danielle Gerhard, PhD | Dec 4, 2023 | 4 min read
As scientists realize the multifaceted role of mitochondria, some feel that the “powerhouse of the cell” analogy is out of date.
Photo of Chantell Evans
Chantell Evans Tracks Mitochondrial Cleanup in Neurons
Holly Barker, PhD | Dec 1, 2022 | 3 min read
The Duke University cell biologist uses live-cell microscopy to reveal how brain cells rid themselves of damaged mitochondria and what goes wrong in neurodegenerative disease.
Neurons in all sorts of different colors, some glowing
How Fear Restructures the Mouse Brain
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Aug 15, 2022 | 4 min read
By combining deep learning and electron microscopy, researchers now have a more detailed understanding of how fear changes the brain.
Illustration of blue shiny mitochondria
Worms Live Longer with Mitochondria Powered by Light: Preprint
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | May 24, 2022 | 4 min read
Increasing mitochondrial activity in worms by engineering a light-activated proton pump into the organelle’s membrane extends the animals’ lifespan without evidence of health decline, according to a preprint.
Spaceflight Alters Genes of Human Stem Cell–Derived Heart Cells
Emily Makowski | Nov 7, 2019 | 3 min read
Cardiomyocytes made from iPSCs aboard the International Space Station had upregulated mitochondrial functioning.
Mitochondria Play an Unexpected Role in Killing Bacteria
Katarina Zimmer | Jan 1, 2019 | 3 min read
The energy-producing organelles also send out parcels with antimicrobial compounds to help destroy pathogen invaders in macrophages.
Mistletoe Lacks Key Energy-Generating Complex
Shawna Williams | May 3, 2018 | 2 min read
The parasitic plant manages to go without a component of mitochondria found in all other multicellular life forms.
Image of the Day: Red-Hot Mitochondria
The Scientist and The Scientist Staff | Jan 29, 2018 | 1 min read
Mitochondria may sustain temperatures more than 10 °C warmer than human cells, say researchers. 
Image of the Day: Mitochondria, Live and in Color
The Scientist | Sep 27, 2017 | 1 min read
Mitochondria age differently depending upon whether they’re located in the liver, heart, or kidney, scientists find in flies and mice.
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