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
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.
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.
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.
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
Tobias was a former PhD student and studied the role of the Golgi kinase Fam20C in the Cab45-dependent sorting mechanism. He graduated in December 2020.
Natalia was a former PhD student and graduated in early 2020. She studied how Nucleobindin-1 regulates ECM degradation by promoting intra-Golgi trafficking of MMPs.
Mehrshad completed his PhD studies in 2019 in our lab. He published part of his work on the Activity of the SPCA1 Calcium Pump Couples Sphingomyelin Synthesis to Sorting of Secretory Proteins in the Trans-Golgi Network in 2018.
Birgit finished her PhD studies in our lab in 2017 and stayed as a PostDoc until mid of 2019. She moved with the lab to the US and set-up the work environment you can find in our lab at Yale. She studied the Secretory cargo sorting by Ca2+-dependent Cab45 oligomerization at the trans-Golgi network.
Christine worked as one of the first members in the von Blume Lab for her postdoctoral studies from 2012 - 2015.
Gisela Beck worked as Lab manager and lab technician for many years in the von Blume lab in the Max-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry.
Renate (Reni) was part of the Max-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry and supported our lab as lab technician for several years before we moved to the US.
Anna was a technician in the von Blume lab, when we were just starting at the Max-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry in Munich, Germany.
Other former colleagues/students in the lab:
- 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)