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Who we are

von Blume lab

Founded in Germany, Munich, our lab worked in the innovative, highly ranked Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry. Since 2019, we continue our exciting research in the interdisciplinary cutting-edge environment of the Cell Biology department at Yale University. This highly collaborative network with bright scientists of different fields and backgrounds provides the soil for creative, advancing research. Our lab works closely together with other labs, exchanging protocols, expertise, expanding knowledge and discussing science.

Our Lab

Dr. Julia von Blume (PhD)

Principal Investigator,

Associate professor in the department of Cell Biology, Yale

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Julia von Blume obtained her Ph.D. in the laboratory of Thomas Seufferlein at the University of Ulm where she investigated signaling dependent nuclear transport of protein kinase D (PKD). In 2007 she moved to the laboratory of Vivek Malhotra at University of San Diego (UCSD), USA and Centre Regulacio Genomica (CRG), Spain. During her work as a postdoctoral fellow she discovered a novel sorting mechanism for secretory proteins. The major components that regulate this unique sorting process include F-actin, cofilin, the Golgi Ca2+ ATPase SPCA1, Ca2+, and Cab45. She then moved as an independent group leader to the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Munich Germany to further dissect the sorting mechanism using in vitro reconstitution and cell biology. Her research program at Yale focuses on sorting reactions in the trans-Golgi Network (TGN) with particular emphasis on the role of protein and lipid complexes that recognize and pack secreted proteins into specific transport carriers. This process is crucial to facilitate the secretion and function of these factors in different cell types and organisms.

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Dr. Bulat Ramazanov (MD, PhD)

Associate Research Scientist

Bulat received his MD and PhD degrees in Medicine from the Kazan State Medical University, Russia. He joined Yale University in 2016 as Postdoctoral Associate at Yale Stem Cell Center in the lab of Dr. Natalia Ivanova. In August 2019 Bulat joined the von Blume lab where he currently works as Associate Research Scientist. His research interest focuses on elucidating the role of Cab45-dependent cargo sorting and mechanisms that promote vesicular budding from the TGN membrane.

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Dr. Anup Parchure (PhD)

Postdoctoral Associate

Anup joined the lab in April 2019 after a short Postdoc stint at UMASS Medical School in Department of Neurobiology. He completed his PhD in 2016 from the National Center for Biological Sciences (NCBS), India. During his PhD, he uncovered the mechanisms of exovesicular secretion of morphogen Hedgehog, and its roles in patterning the Drosophila wing. In the Von Blume Lab, he is investigating the mechanism of Insulin sorting and secretion.

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Mai Ly Tran 

PhD,

Ludwigs-Maximilians-University Munich,

IMPRS-LS

Mai Ly holds a Master degree in Biochemistry from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Germany. She joined the von Blume Lab as PhD student in May 2017, where she studies the sorting mechanisms at the TGN involving the Ca(2+)-binding protein Cab45 and its role in secretion and sorting of soluble clients. With the move of the lab to New Haven, CT, USA, she followed her PI in May 2019 and continues research on her projects in the facilities of the Yale School of Medicine. Besides experimenting on the lab bench, she frequently experiments in the kitchen as well. When the pipette is exchanged for the pen, she writes for the IMPRS newsletter and for the Department of Cell Biology (YSM) website as part of the Committee for Online Community (COC).
Since March 2022, she successfully graduated with a PhD in Biochemistry.

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Meg Tian

PhD Student,

Yale University

Meg joined the lab in July 2020. She graduated with a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Peking University, China. In the Von Blume lab, she is investigating the role of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in the biogenesis of insulin granules. When not geeking out over protein sorting and secretion, Meg enjoys reading, photography, and playing video games.

Alumni

Other former colleagues/students in the lab:

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- Nirakar Basnet (Master thesis)

- Maria Lanzinger (Bachelor thesis)

- Carina P (Bachelor thesis)

- Xenia (Bachelor thesis)

- Judith Vlaar (Master thesis)

- Ana Martin (Master thesis)

- Niko Bölter (Bachelor thesis)

- Chaochen Lu (Bachelor thesis)

- Silva (Bachelor thesis)

- Marisa (internship)

- Basant Birajee (Master thesis)

- Devin Horn (Summer intern, Yale)

- Ceara McAtee (Rotation student, Yale)

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