Francesca Bottanelli

Francesca Bottanelli is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy at Freie Universität Berlin. She leads the Bottanelli Group focusing on membrane trafficking mechanisms, combining advanced microscopy techniques with molecular biology approaches. Her research explores cargo transport pathways, organelle dynamics, and the role of ARF GTPases in intracellular trafficking.

Education:

• PhD in Biological Sciences, University of Leeds (2011), Advisor: Dr. Jürgen Denecke
• MSc in Plant, Food and Environmental Biotechnology, University of Milan (2006)
• BSc in Plant Biotechnology, University of Milan (2004)

Research Focus: Bottanelli’s work integrates STED super-resolution microscopy with CRISPR-based technologies to study membrane organization. Key areas include:

• Actin-driven plasma membrane compartmentalization
• ARF GTPase regulation in endosomal recycling
• Development of biosensors for phosphoinositide signaling
• Dynamic ER-to-Golgi transport mechanisms

Publications Trends: Recent work emphasizes novel imaging tools (e.g., Pitstop inhibitors, TurboID tagging) and functional insights into membrane trafficking pathways. Her 2025 FAB-CRISPR method represents an innovative gene editing approach for mammalian cells.

Laboratory: The group maintains state-of-the-art microscopy facilities and collaborates on projects involving viral entry mechanisms and organelle crosstalk. Open positions focus on postdoctoral research and PhD training in structural immunology and molecular cell biology.