Neural Stem Cell – Niche Interactions in Mitochondrial Disease
Summary
Mitochondrial diseases are caused by defects in genes required for energy production and oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos). We find it intriguing that some patients with mitochondrial disease present late in life, with very tissue-specific phenotypes. It seems that not all cells and tissues are equally susceptible to mitochondrial disease.
Project aims
The objective of this project is to study how specific cells respond to mitochondrial dysfunction within the context of a living organism. We plan to find out whether interactions between different cell types, may render cells and tissues more, or less, vulnerable to mitochondrial disease.
The project will focus on the developing Drosophila brain and aims to investigate how neural stem cells interact with their surrounding glial cells in the stem cell niche. We take advantage of the powerful genetics of Drosophila and combine targeted genetic manipulations with confocal and super-resolution imaging, biosensors to perform in vivo metabolite measurements and innovative sequencing approaches to study how different cell-types within the post-embryonic brain of a living organism interact and respond to mitochondrial dysfunction.
Possibility exists to translate findings from Drosophila into mouse or mammalian cell culture.
Contact details
Dr Jelle van den Ameele (jv361@cam.ac.uk) Neurology and Mitochondrial Biology Unit
Opportunities
This project is open to applicants who want to do a:
- PhD
- MPhil