PhD Studentship: Peroxisome-organelle Interplay Under Cellular Stress Conditions - BBSRC SWBio DTP PhD studentship 2025 Entry

About:

The BBSRC-funded SWBio DTP involves a partnership of world-renown universities, research institutes and industry, based mainly across the South West and Wales.

This partnership has established international, national and regional scientific networks, and widely recognised research excellence and facilities.

We aim to provide you with outstanding interdisciplinary bioscience research training, underpinned by transformative technologies.

Project Description

Membrane-bound compartments (organelles) in eukaryotic cells are no longer seen as isolated entities; they need to interact and cooperate in order to maintain healthy cellular function. Research on organelle cooperation represents an exciting new field in modern cell biology and biomedical sciences because of its close relation to organelle functionality and its impact on physiological processes. Peroxisomes are highly dynamic, oxidative organelles with essential functions in cellular lipid and redox metabolism. They closely cooperate with other subcellular organelles such as the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondria and lipid droplets, and fulfil important protective roles to combat cellular stresses (e.g. oxidative/lipid stress, immune defence) (Silva BBA 2020, 1867:118800). Peroxisome-organelle cooperation is mediated by membrane contacts. Previously, we revealed the molecular mechanism, function and regulation of peroxisome-ER contacts (Costello 2017, JCB 216:331; Kors 2022, JCB 221:e202003143), which have been linked to neurological disorders. Although our understanding of organelle contacts is increasing, we know very little about their physiological roles and their dynamics/dynamic alterations under cellular stress conditions. 

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