Project Reference: TRG27-BIO-EZ1
Project title: How does cell size affect intracellular organelles composition and function?
Project outline
Cell size is the most fundamental and evident physical property of any cell. We have previously discovered that changes in cell size can modulate numerous cellular processes, including the cell cycle, cellular ageing, metabolism, cell death and global gene expression. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the size-dependent changes in cell behaviours remain largely unexplored.
This project aims to comprehensively determine how cell size affects the protein composition, structure and function of subcellular organelles. To accomplish this overarching goal, the project will address the following specific questions:
- How does the size of different organelles scale with cell size?
- How do the proteomes of individual organelles change when cell size changes? Do proteins change their subcellular localisation as the cell gets larger?
- How does the function and efficiency of organelles scale with cell size?
- How do size-dependent changes in organelle function affect the overall cellular fitness?
- Can these changes in cell physiology be targeted to improve the efficiency of anti-cancer and anti-ageing therapeutic approaches?
To address these questions, we will use a combination of cutting-edge technologies, including quantitative proteomics, high-resolution microscopy, gene editing and cell-based functional assays.
Completion of this project will deepen our understanding of the fundamental principles of life and bring a new insight into how cell function can be modulated in health and disease.
Principal Supervisor
Dr Evgeny Zatulovskiy
Email address: ez225@cam.ac.uk
Department / Partner Institute: Biochemistry
Website: https://www.bioc.cam.ac.uk/research/faculty/evgeny-zatulovskiy
BBSRC strategic theme
Understanding the rules of life