LipidX

Systems Biology of Biomembranes

Lipids, with DNA and sugars, are the major building blocks of living cells. Eucaryotic cells, and in particular mammalian cells, contain thousands of different lipid species and devote some 5% of their entire genome to the synthesis of these molecules. 

Despite their importance, because of the difficulty of studying these hydrophobic metabolites, lipids have long been neglected in the "omics" era. This has changed over recent years with the emergence of lipidomics.

The central, overarching questions of LipidX are: what role do various lipids or lipid assemblies play, how is lipid homeostasis – or lipidostasis – controlled at the genetic and protein levels, how and why is lipid localization controlled in a given cell or a given membrane and, finally, how does the endomembrane system arise and function.

Principal Investigator Prof. Gisou van der Goot, Global Health Institute, EPF Lausanne
Involved Institutions EPF Lausanne, University of Geneva, University of Zurich, ETH Zurich, University of Lausanne
Number of Research Groups 14
Project Duration Jul. 2008 - Dec. 2012
Approved SystemsX.ch Funds CHF 10.018 million

Updated September 2012 

Contact

Prof. Gisou van der Goot
Global Health Institute
EPF Lausanne
Station 19
CH - 1015 Lausanne
phone +41 21 693 17 91
gisou.vandergoot(at)epfl.ch