Biosketch:
Meredith Morris, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Genetics and Biochemistry at Clemson University and a member of the Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center (EPIC). Her research focuses on the cell biology of parasitic protozoa, with particular emphasis on organelle biogenesis, metabolism, and protein lysine methylation in Trypanosoma brucei. She earned her BS from Virginia Tech and her PhD from the University of Georgia, followed by postdoctoral training at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Morris is actively involved in research training, undergraduate mentorship, and international collaborations.

Research Summary:
Research in the Morris laboratory focuses on the cell biology of parasitic protozoa, using Trypanosoma brucei as a model system to understand how subcellular organization and post-translational regulation shape parasite metabolism and survival. A central emphasis of the lab is the study of the glycosome, a specialized peroxisome that compartmentalizes metabolic pathways in kinetoplastids. Our work has revealed that glycosomes are heterogeneous and dynamic organelles, exhibiting distinct morphologies and organizational states that likely support metabolic flexibility and adaptation to changing environments.
In parallel, the lab investigates SET domain protein lysine methyltransferases and their roles in regulating non-histone proteins involved in metabolism and organelle function. By integrating cell biology, genetics, quantitative imaging, and biochemistry, we aim to define how lysine methylation intersects with organelle heterogeneity to control parasite physiology and identify regulatory mechanisms unique to eukaryotic pathogens.

Selected Publications:

• Anderson, H., Powell, R. R., & Morris, M. T. (2025). Ultrastructural expansion microscopy reveals unexpected levels of glycosome heterogeneity in African trypanosomes. Journal of Microscopy. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmi.70019
• Knight, E. W., Conlon, M. E., & Morris, M. T. (2024). A mitochondrial SET domain protein is essential in Trypanosoma brucei and required for mitochondrial morphology and function. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.23.581798
• Crowe, L. P., Wilkinson, C. L., Nicholson, K. R., & Morris, M. T. (2020). Trypanosoma brucei Pex13.2… mSphere, 5(1), e00744-19. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32075879/
• Bauer, S., & Morris, M. T. (2017). Glycosome biogenesis in trypanosomes… PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 11(4), e0005333. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28426655/
• Bauer, S., Conlon, M., & Morris, M. T. (2014). Using fluorescent proteins… J Vis Exp, (90), e51647. https://doi.org/10.3791/51647