This is a Small Grant for Exploratory Research, to develop a submitochondrial in vitro translation and integration system for mitochondria. Mitochondrial biogenesis is an important problem in cell biology. Most of the current work in this field focuses on import of nuclear encoded proteins into the mitochondria. Very few laboratories are investigating the problem from the point of view of the mitochondrially encoded proteins, because it is a much more difficult problem to approach. The development of a totally in vitro submitochondrial system for mitochondrial translation and integration would allow the problem to become much more approachable. This is a very difficult and risky endeavor, which, if successful, would have major impact on the field of mitochondrial biogenesis.
