Name and Surname of the Supervisor: Mindaugas Valius
Institution (Company), Department: VU LSC Institute of Biochemistry, Centre of Proteomics
Preliminary Topic: Elucidation of Cell Senescence Mechanisms to Prevent and Potentially Reverse Cell Aging
Short Description of the Internship Work: Human aging is increasingly recognized as a major contributing factor to various diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders, autoimmune diseases, vascular endothelial dysfunction, and cancer, all of which compromise healthspan and accelerate mortality. One of the hallmarks of aging is the accumulation of senescent cells in various organs, which are compromised in their growth potential. Unfortunately, although these cells are prevented from becoming cancerous, they secrete various substances (collectively referred to as the "senescence-associated secretory phenotype" or SASP) that create a favorable niche for other cells to become malignant and, more importantly, accelerate the aging of the entire organism.
Thus, targeting senescent cells is one of the approaches to preventing aging and cancer development. In this project, we will generate artificially aged cells in vitro by introducing various inducible expression genes and later elucidate changes in their proteome and secretome. This approach will enable us to apply bioinformatic tools to search for new compounds that may eliminate and/or reverse cellular senescence, thereby mitigating the detrimental effects of SASP.
In a parallel project, various artificially aged cells will be screened with a panel of nutritional supplements to evaluate their senolytic potential, and their apoptosis mechanisms will be explored.
Motivated and enthusiastic students with a background in molecular and cellular biology are welcome to join our team.
Qualification Requirements (Degree): BSc, MSc MSc completed
Application Deadline: 2024-11-30