TitleExtracellular Vesicles and Metabolic Disease
SupervisorsGwyn Gould    Margaret Cunningham
Research AreaCardiovascular and Metabolic Disease
Cell Biology
DescriptionExtracellular Vesicles [ECVs] are increasingly being viewed as key players in cell-cell or even tissue-tissue communication. ECVs are lipid bilayer surrounded particles which are released by many cells, including adipocytes, liver and nerve cells. ECVs contain proteins, lipids and miRNA/mRNA which act as signals to other cells and often are transported through the blood to other tissues. ECVs can also cross biological barriers, raising interest in these structures as gene/medicine delivery vectors. However, we know little about how ECVs are released, or how their contents and function are controlled.

There is a growing body of evidence that ECVs play a key role in metabolic disease. For example, ECVs mediate adipose/liver cross talk, and also function in communication between adipocytes and inflammatory cells. The role of ECVs in neuronal cell signalling remains ill-defined.

This project will use model neuronal and adipocyte cell lines and liver spheroids as sources of ECVs and test the hypothesis that the composition of these ECVs and their downstream effects vary depending on factors such as hypoxia, glucopenia/neuroglucopenia or insulin resistance.

We will also address the mechanism of ECV release using genome-editing approaches to control exocytosis in adipocytes as a model system.
Techniques UsedCell Culture
Centrifugation/nanocyte analysis of ECVs
Protein analysis
Imaging
Genome Editing/siRNA approaches
ReferencesShedding light on the cell biology of extracellular vesicles
Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 19, pages 213–228(2018)

Extracellular vesicles: a new communication paradigm?
Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 20, pages 509–510 (2019)
ConditionsApplicants should possess or be about to obtain a 1st class or 2:1 Honours degree or equivalent in a Biological Science in addition to receipt of satisfactory references and an IELTS score of 6.5 where appropriate.
Bench FeeRunning costs of £10000 p.a. will be associated with this project in addition to University tuition fees.
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