https://roh-johnson.biochem.utah.edu/contact daily 0.75 2024-06-27 https://roh-johnson.biochem.utah.edu/research daily 0.75 2024-07-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1649694470268-1CTAPECNVFNLN6CX36YO/mito+transfer.png Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1649696176124-DX329EL3SU8553ZAW9QW/Dicty-landscape.jpg Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/aa09d8ce-637e-4b50-8610-a9b02112705b/Varady+et+al.jpg Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/8d356f1b-d30a-44f3-95b7-128302465dad/in+vivo+FAs.jpg Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/5856e9b6-cd4b-4ce8-be39-fef1127dd6dc/spheroid.jpg Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/3b907681-18d8-4cf8-9953-c1b67703b17b/mito+transfer.png Research Horizontal transfer of macrophage mitochondria (green) to breast cancer cells (purple) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/e19323f2-f436-4a4d-823f-90d02b568ead/Varady+et+al.jpg Research Left: Graph of cell confluence over time on the Incucyte. Right: Quantification of cell confluence at 72 hours. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/cbeb3b31-f8f8-4063-9bc5-a532567baa81/in+vivo+FAs.jpg Research Image of zebrafish melanoma cell migrating in a zebrafish larvae. Focal adhesions are Paxillin-positive (green) and colocalize with actin (magenta). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/8e12155f-4f14-49ad-a9ac-6584a3e81f26/Dicty.png Research Representative timelapse fluorescent confocal microscopy images of paxb-/act15/GFP:PaxB;RFP:Lifeact Dictyostelium cells. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/4912b569-fc7e-4dbb-9c11-81da11db2368/spheroid.jpg Research CSPG4-expressing CAR-macrophages (green) attached onto a melanoma spheroid (magenta) in 3D. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/9518f4f3-66fc-4ef5-ad40-02bb5d2fa57b/fixed-tumor-cells-in-skin.jpeg Research Tumor cells embedded in the zebrafish skin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/dc50f07f-4e3f-4602-8299-4267bd3bc35c/krt4-cre-fish.jpeg Research GFP expression in the zebrafish skin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/25db39f5-07f6-481c-8d6f-9931e013afc5/mito+transfer.png Research - Lateral transfer of macrophage mitochondria in cancer (Taylor Stevens and Noah Bressler) Alumni: Joey Casalini & Chelsea Kidwell Macrophages are a component of our immune system, but have a paradoxical role in cancer – Macrophages can promote metastasis. We previously discovered that macrophages spill their internal contents into cancer cells during metastasis, but what is the functionally important information in the contents? We recently discovered that macrophages transfer an organelle called mitochondria directly to cancer cells, and that receipt of macrophage mitochondria allow cancer cells to grow more rapidly. Thus, we seek to answer how this mitochondrial transfer process occurs and what happens when the mitochondria are received by cancer cells in an effort to develop strategies to prevent this process. Surprisingly, we find that after mitochondrial transfer occurs, the transferred mitochondria remain as a spatially distinct population from the host mitochondrial network. Furthermore, we found that high levels of local reactive oxygen species accumulate at transferred mitochondria, suggesting an intriguing hypothesis that transferred mitochondria may provide a signal to tumor cells, rather than providing excess mitochondrial function as has been previously described. Check out the paper for more info: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36876914/ We are now extending these studies to ask how cells identify and manage distinct mitochondrial pools as well developing a new system to detect cells that have received mitochondria with high sensitivity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/aa09d8ce-637e-4b50-8610-a9b02112705b/Varady+et+al.jpg Research - Make it stand out Legend: Left: Graph of cell confluence over time on the Incucyte. Right: Quantification of cell confluence at 72 hours. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/8d356f1b-d30a-44f3-95b7-128302465dad/in+vivo+FAs.jpg Research - Make it stand out Legend: Image of zebrafish melanoma cell migrating in a zebrafish larvae. Focal adhesions are Paxillin-positive (green) and colocalize with actin (magenta). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/b2d509ce-e586-4821-bc3b-fed161e084a9/Dicty.png Research - Evolutionary origin, composition, and function of cell-substrate adhesions (Julio Fierro) Focal adhesion machinery was initially thought to be animal (metazoan)-specific, however comparative genomics of organisms evolutionary distant from Metazoa suggest full-length homologues of core components are found in organisms as distant as Amoebozoa. Interestingly, many organisms evolutionarily distant from Metazoans form cell-substrate adhesions for migration despite lacking the complete focal adhesion machinery found in Metazoans. We hypothesize species evolutionarily distant from Metazoans form cell-substrate adhesions using focal adhesion molecule orthologues that maintain conserved adhesive functions and interactions. We use evolutionary analyses, biochemistry, and cell biology to elucidate the composition and function of evolutionary distant cell-substrate adhesions and characterize adhesion orthologues in the Amoebozoan, Dictyostelium discoideum. Check out our paper for more information on the conserved functions of PaxillinB, a homologue of the vertebrate Paxillin. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.19.585764v1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/9854f995-5c35-4223-bacc-7b4d11cc0922/spheroid.jpg Research - Make it stand out Legend: CSPG4-expressing CAR-macrophages (green) attached onto a melanoma spheroid (magenta) in 3D. https://roh-johnson.biochem.utah.edu/philosophy daily 0.75 2024-06-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/306021b2-d9a2-4369-8f2a-32bf83fb3ed3/Philosophy+2.jpg Philosophy https://www.sammykatta.com/diversity https://roh-johnson.biochem.utah.edu/home daily 1.0 2026-04-14 https://roh-johnson.biochem.utah.edu/join daily 0.75 2026-04-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1646407154866-FUQMN3Q29WOO0RPKR383/afternoon+campus+panorama.jpg Join - Why move to Utah? Why move to Utah? https://roh-johnson.biochem.utah.edu/publications daily 0.75 2024-07-02 https://roh-johnson.biochem.utah.edu/lab-members daily 0.75 2026-03-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1649707915458-PJ8MAJFI95NBGQLYVFVQ/Julio+Fierro+June+15+2021+v2x3.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1649708029283-QTKZCMTX5V3SHEMBDHL1/Daniel+Greiner+June+19+2021+v1-1.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1649708232246-YMBIG33HQNDMY8RXIVMM/Trinity+Waddell+June+15+2021+v2x3.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1649708546894-0HMXUIM51YFEKU7W3HF0/James+Carrington+200x300.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1649708685175-4RX8UBH0EZKUVZSJQ90Y/Elizabeth+Hayes-200x300.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1649708800636-HBGW5592M2ENX7063CFF/Chelsea+Kidwell-200x300px.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/0e139776-9c4e-4200-b458-228b7b8f1a90/Kara+Jones+5-18-2023+v-1.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/388d158b-21f2-40c7-9560-2a9caf35d43b/Elena+Kurudza+7-27-2023+v-1.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1649707800268-M33PY4UJ9WGOL9ZSUKNJ/Joey+Casalini+June+15+2021+v2x3.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1649710954341-Y45FHUPSEHE2CRJBFK7V/Qian_Xue_4x6.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/9c0c4e71-7e3b-45e6-bddc-2932af97d9f9/Taylor+Stevens+Oct+31+2023+centered+p-1.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/fae7e33a-838a-4f5e-b179-b5c982242d16/Sophia+Varady+12-14-2023+p-1.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/86d171cd-93ad-47fe-aa0b-790bcd7449c2/MacKenzie+Roman+12-14-2023+p-2.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/6969ceab-82a2-48f1-af47-c25da7f3a9b9/Laura+Stump+5-7-2025+p-1.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/548d2809-f48b-4055-bf12-a964aac25eb5/Noah+Bressler+5-7-2025+p-1.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/807bc1d1-837a-4f82-99f3-97b76653fe3b/Sarah+Gallagher+3-19-26+p-1.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/8304ebf3-b682-4ccc-bbc2-f24cb486d15f/Minna+Roh-Johnson+June+15+2021+v1-1.jpg Lab Members - Minna Roh-Johnson, Ph.D. Associate Professor Minna is originally from Vancouver, Canada. She earned her Bachelors and Masters degree at Simon Fraser University. She then moved to the United States for her PhD work. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she immersed herself into the beauty of the inner workings of a cell (and college basketball), and spent many glorious hours on the microscope (and at the bar). Completely obsessed with figuring out how cells alter their “skeleton” as cells move, she turned her attention to understanding how this process works in cancer and did her postdoctoral work at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. She started at the University of Utah in January 2018 as an Assistant Professor, still trying to figure out how cells move in different environments. These days, Minna no longer spends a ton of time at the bar, and can be seen chasing around her kids, hiking, eating at local restaurants, and trying not to look completely uncoordinated in taekwondo. https://roh-johnson.biochem.utah.edu/news daily 0.75 2024-07-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/6ee5d5aa-2535-4330-ba17-4dbcddb323d3/tenure+cup.jpg News - 07/01/2024 Minna officially gets tenure! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/52a0b58a-fc28-46be-9145-e36f6e65d58f/Dan+celebration.jpg News - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/6a06f59c-147b-45e8-aca9-2c0b96b66832/Noah+Bressler+May+23+2024+p-1.jpg News - 06/01/2024 The lab welcomes new graduate student, Noah Bressler! We are so happy to have you, Noah! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/888349e6-7ad1-42e6-ad8c-b9971f907a44/Sophia+1.jpg News - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/61556e7e-fe8b-4aec-9d8e-e8c9629e22dd/Sophia+2.jpg News - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/6959dc81-2d09-4c60-943c-478d7d223d92/Julio+award.jpg News - 05/31/2024 Julio Gunn is awarded the Department of Biochemistry Marge Gunn Excellence in Graduate Research prize. It’s such an honor to be recognized with this award. Congrats, Julio! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/6c16d692-810a-49d6-a634-2db8c581f423/Julio+NHMU.jpg News - 05/07/2024 Julio gives a TEDx-style talk about his research at the Natural History Museum of Utah to a packed crowd. Great job, Julio! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/d18ec5ef-3d41-46e2-8a15-a28e295107c0/Kara+celebration.jpg News - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/7115a1e7-5b2b-47a3-a1d8-1560bac196b0/matching+tattoos+1.jpg News - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/7fa757ae-b0f4-46d5-8202-60f2d080466c/matching+tattoos+2.jpg News - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/5f9e225d-fd02-441a-857b-3653990823a2/Mackenzie+poster.jpg News - 02/04/2024 Mackenzie showing off her skillz at a poster session https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1719942021476-7M6EKEFAWGLBUR0UIMBQ/spirit+week+1.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1719942021802-G91J2ZXQGQOSUNM6LW1K/spirit+week+2.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1719942022491-0CSMHT7MTKN0P41QULRG/spirit+week+3.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1719942023015-3GQM1VL43ODLBFLDK95J/spirit+week+4.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1719942023621-ZQE3C95OB2MEEI7UZ0JK/spirit+week+5.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1719942024169-E2MZYGRDWTZC95Y9G2LD/spirit+week+6.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/d6c3dce0-8a71-404a-aae5-4f784f586a95/ASCB.jpg News - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/b667cc0a-fdb7-498a-a7ee-f12bbf28035b/Gunn.jpg News - 06/16/2023 Joey wins the Department of Biochemistry Marjorie Riches Gunn Award for Excellence in PhD Studies! This is a great honor, so congrats Joey! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/b2a771da-b9dc-4343-8f75-c49a0dce5e0c/Kara+Jones+5-18-2023+v-1.jpg News - 06/01/2023 Kara Jones, a student in the Biosciences program, joins the lab as a graduate student! She will be working on cell migration in zebrafish – Welcome, Kara! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1687800531618-3R9IPCWL4NGB6KT0IOS3/qian+going+away+1+%281%29.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1687800531666-BN6MF3BMXQ9X7KLL2K8Y/Qian+going+away+2.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1687800299535-LUVDI9VCNUCUXGZ3735D/commencement+2.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1687800299501-JGI565G0P829JP8OCTLW/commencement+1.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1687800300293-41MDEAMY18JZNMIRSRK0/commencement+3.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/e9d22a70-6a47-440f-814d-314cc65d54b0/Joey+thesis.jpg News - 05/02/2023 Joey defended his dissertation! Oh boy, it was a great talk, and the week was filled with celebrations, including getting to meet Joey’s family and friends, and seeing Joey jam with his band at a local bar. Congrats, Joey, on a great thesis defense! Here’s a pic of Joey with his thesis committee: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/8d1e4862-8dcf-43dc-9890-a877fc7a93ed/bay+of+bald.jpg News - 03/02/2023 Breakfast send off as Trinity leaves the lab to start a new job in Arizona (but not before he shaved his head to create “the bay of bald”). We will miss Trinity, but wish him all the best. Don’t be a stranger, Trinity! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1687800663052-WLN9U706QOF0CKVR9G2G/Qian+defense+1.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1687800663099-WS21S7ZLN2SP7XSAX557/Qian+defense+2.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1687800663909-EJBZJ97D411FKU1P77C7/Qian+defense+3.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1687800663945-TPAZ4B1F82VJC6JZNM2H/Qian+defense+4.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1687800664902-IG803QQS31X4FOSGGVAY/Qian+defense+5.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1687801032414-FZOV6TV8IG72EMDCV2C7/ASCB+1.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1687801032513-OVFSXJR5FXHOQLNE5P7A/ASCB+2.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1687801033117-U0O33PSRX5M7SJ2HCLQ2/ASCB+3.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1687801033146-UQPZJZMZZD8SOL0167S4/ASCB+4.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1687801033838-D2L8D4SV7CVYYVQS5HWP/ASCB+5.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1687801196044-MRA6QUJMI650E15D1JLN/Xmas+3.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1687801195294-HEXSJ9P76BAPA04WKWRJ/Xmas+2+%281%29.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/1687801222470-CSL4GUEK8GNVFWUZKJ8M/Xmas+1.jpg News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/82780458-5eb9-4427-a947-8cc3aecd5359/Joey+CSHL.jpg News - 08/16/2022 Joey gives a talk at the Cold Spring Harbor Lab Microenvironment and Metastasis Meeting! Congrats, Joey! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/68a74c7d-abbb-4b6c-aedd-3e4514a74da8/Taylor+Stevens+July+14+2022-1.jpg News - 07/01/2022 Taylor Stevens joins the lab as a postbac student through the IM-PREP program. We are so happy to have you join the team, Taylor! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/391c8d8f-5800-4e79-90db-2622b5d601ac/MacKenzie+Roman_09-06-2022_img-1.jpg News - 05/01/2022 Mackenzie Roman joins the lab as a Lab Specialist! She comes with years of research experience in cell migration – We are excited to have you join the team, Mackenzie! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/68143404-b2d5-4e0f-9208-b4754081a28a/LN2+2022.jpg News - 01/12/2022 What has 10 thumbs and rescues loose tubes at the bottom of a liquid nitrogen dewar as a team? THIS LAB. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/05d31e54-69d7-4059-bbcd-015ff5489418/2021-10-20+chelsea+party+2.jpg News - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/004e0847-7787-49bc-8206-eefa95806e9c/2021-10-20+chelsea+party+1.jpg News - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/b7887aa5-4c8c-4844-bd04-668a5b600938/2021-07-19+Sophia.jpg News - 07/19/2021 Sophia Varady joins the lab as a Research Technician. Sophia finished her Bachelor’s degree at Reed College and hails from Hawai’i. Welcome, Sophia, we are so happy to have you! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/52aeabe9-c819-4109-847f-3fe50eaa1e31/2021-04-28+julio+prelim.jpg News - 04/28/2021 Julio displays his superior intellect during his prelim exam! Congrats Julio! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/bc4de0b2-a967-42d7-876b-1d48de6c960c/2021-03-08+trinity+prelim.jpg News - 03/28/2021 Trinity kicks butt on his prelim exam! Congrats Trinity! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62222dd0298a8b201be5f0d0/9cd25b46-1efd-4fdf-a279-cac5b004f7f9/2021-02-24+mod-edi-interest-group.jpeg News - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.