Engineering Long-Lived Mitochondria in Short-Lived Animals
Supervisors
Prof Alberto Sanz, School of Molecular Biosciences, University of Glasgow
Prof Bobby Graham, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast
Summary
Do you want to discover why mitochondrial proteins become so long-lived, and whether restoring their turnover could extend healthy lifespan?
This PhD project will investigate a fundamental question in ageing biology: does the exceptionally slow turnover of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) proteins limit longevity in short-lived animals? Using Drosophila melanogaster, you will test whether introducing mitochondrial quality-control mechanisms found in longer-lived species can restore OXPHOS turnover, preserve mitochondrial function and extend healthspan and lifespan.
You will also mine large human and mouse proteomic datasets to discover new regulators of OXPHOS turnover, then test the strongest candidates directly in flies. A major focus will be OMA1, a mitochondrial protease present in mammals and some long-lived insects but absent from Drosophila. You will generate transgenic flies expressing human OMA1 and determine whether this can rejuvenate mitochondrial protein quality control.
The project combines experimental and computational biology. You will gain hands-on experience in genetics, biochemistry, proteomics, bioinformatics and comparative genomics. Alongside your research, you will receive training in scientific writing, data analysis, grant preparation, project management and communication.
This project is ideal for a curious and ambitious student interested in ageing, evolution and data-driven biology, and offers the opportunity to address a genuinely unexplored question with broad relevance to human health.