The secretory pathway is present in all eukaryotes and essential for life. Nearly one third of all proteins enter this pathway, including practically all membrane proteins and those proteins secreted from cells, including those that make up skin, bone and connective tissue, hormones, digestive enzymes, antibodies and many others. The Golgi apparatus lies at the heart of the secretory pathway where it functions as a hub for protein trafficking. Dysfunction of the Golgi is responsible for many diseases, contributes to complex pathologies such as cancer and neurodegeneration, and is part of the ageing process, highlighting the importance of this organelle for human health. The specificity of trafficking at the Golgi is dictated by the golgin proteins, but the mechanisms by which they function, and the importance of the golgins in different cell types in an in vivo context is unclear. In this project, a combination of biochemistry, cell biology and in vivo analysis of the model organism C. elegans will be used to address these major outstanding questions. The combined experiments will reveal how golgins dictate trafficking specificity, the importance of this process for maintaining a functional Golgi, and role of the proteins in tissue development and homeostasis. Combinatorial experiments will also reveal the extent to which these proteins may operate in a redundant manner, as has been proposed. The project will provide new insights into how the secretory pathway operates at the molecular level, which has important implications for our understanding of human health and disease.
https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/martin.p.lowe.html
https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/gino.poulin.html
Entry Requirements
Applicants must have obtained or be about to obtain a First or Upper Second class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of science, engineering or technology.
Applicants interested in this project should make direct contact with the Primary Supervisor to arrange to discuss the project further as soon as possible.
How To Apply
To be considered for this project you MUST submit a formal online application form - full details on how to apply can be found on the BBSRC DTP website www.manchester.ac.uk/bbsrcdtpstudentships
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester, and is at the heart of all of our activities. The full Equality, diversity and inclusion statement can be found on the website https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/research/apply/equality-diversity-inclusion/
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