Do mitochondria change the way cells move | Research in 120 Seconds

About this video

We all know mitochondria as the "powerhouses" of the cell — but what if they're doing something far more surprising? In this episode of Research in 120 Seconds, Omkar Joshi from the Ivaska Lab at Turku Bioscience reveals how mitochondria may act as master controllers of cell movement — and why that could change how we think about cancer. Cell movement is essential for wound healing, embryonic development, and immune function. But when cells move in an uncontrolled way, cancer can spread to distant organs — a process responsible for millions of lives lost every year. Omkar uses a technique called micropatterning to arrange cells into precise shapes (his favourite: the asterisk ✳️), then uses powerful microscopes to watch — in real time — how mitochondria behave as cells begin to move. His work bridges two critical hallmarks of cancer, opening completely new doors for treatment — not by targeting what cancer cells are, but by targeting how they move. 🔬 Researcher: Omkar Joshi 🏛️ Lab: Ivaska Lab, Turku Bioscience 📌 Topic: Cell-matrix adhesion & mitochondrial regulation in cancer --- 🔔 Subscribe for more research explained in 120 seconds. #Mitochondria #CancerResearch #CellBiology #ResearchIn120Seconds #TurkuBioscience #Sciencecommunication #CellMigration #IvaskaLab