Determining the effect of protein quality control to astrocyte stress responses

This honours project aims to determine the effect of protein quality control to astrocyte stress responses.

Proteostasis, the homeostasis of protein folding and degradation, is an essential regulator of cell function. We have identified a subset of proteins important for disposing and recognising misfolded proteins in cells through a process called protein quality control. 

We are interested in how brain cells are adapting to different stress responses, and what happens to this adaptation if the protein quality control is compromised.

Astrocytes are the main glial cell type in central nervous system that is responsible for support and maintenance. 

This current scientific project will use cultured astrocytes to determine how malfunction in our identified factors will effect on astrocyte reactive gene and protein expression during oxidative stress and in Parkinson’s disease. 

The project will use cell culture, some amount of biochemical and cell biological assays especially qPCR suitable for students with a background in molecular and biomedical sciences.

This project is based at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).

Supervisor

Associate Professor Pirjo Apaja

Contact: p.apaja@adelaide.edu.au

Research area: Molecular and biomedical sciences, Apaja Group

Recommended honours enrolment: Honours in Molecular and Biomedical Science