Mary Munson
Hometown: Willimantic, Connecticut
I’m a: biochemist
My research: Eukaryotic cells such as yeast, plants, and humans use conserved pathways to direct small membrane-bound vesicles containing specific cargo to discrete subcellular compartments and to the plasma membrane for secretion. Proper navigation of these vesicles through the dense cytosol of the cell is crucial for normal growth, maintenance of cellular integrity, organelle biogenesis, and intercellular signaling events, such as release of hormones, cytokines and neurotransmitters. Disruption of these trafficking pathways has been implicated in a variety of humans diseases, including immune disorders, cancer, diabetes, ciliopathies, and viral and bacterial pathogenesis. Our lab is interested in elucidating the mechanistic details of vesicle delivery to better understand how specificity is maintained in complicated cellular environments, and how errors in trafficking can give rise to disease phenotypes.
What do you typically eat for breakfast? granola with fresh fruit and yogurt
What is your favorite type of cuisine to cook? American comfort foods and desserts
What is your favorite snack or candy? M&Ms
What is your favorite spice? cinnamon
What is one food you absolutely dislike? mayonnaise
My 4 dream scientist dinner companions:
Charles Darwin
Carl Sagan
Frances Arnold
Mae Jemison
