Microbiome, gut-brain axis and ageing: How and why does Tachykinin signalling cause ageing?
Supervisors:
Dr Adam Dobson, University of Glasgow
Prof Julia Cordero, University of Glasgow
Prof Gail McConnell, Strathclyde University
Summary:
Why do we age, and how can we stop it? Gut microbiota are a promising therapeutic target for modulating ageing. Understanding mechanistically how microbiota influence host ageing in simple animal systems can outline fundamental and evolutionarily-conserved biology that we expect to be conserved in humans.
In this project you will use a powerful Drosophila (fruitfly) model, which is the only animal system where all aspects of bacterial function, diet, and host biology can be controlled, alongside genetic methods to manipulate functions of specific tissues. This allows us to study mechanisms that are conserved throughout animal life,
including in humans. You will use this model to investigate how bacteria activate signalling between the gut and brain, to provide new mechanistic information about how gut bacteria influence host health.
You will get experience and training in cutting-edge methodologies in functional genetics, physiology, metabolism, bioimaging, and next-generation sequencing (including single-cell). This will equip you with thorough training in highly transferrable laboratory, computational and analytical skills, which are in high
demand across research, biotech and data science sectors.