Research

Lysosomal Metabolomics and pH Core: Program Project Grant

Master
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About the Core

Content

The Lysosomal Metabolomics and pH Core’s overarching goal is to understand the mechanistic link between lysosomal activity and aging in Alzheimer’s Disease. To accomplish this, the core will support three research projects to assess changes in lysosomal pH and metabolic activity through harnessing the power of high-throughput, high accuracy Mass Spectrometry (MS)-based metabolomics and high-resolution fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). 

The core is also tasked with performing lysosome-specific metabolomic profiling in aging and tauopathy mouse models. Lysosomes are one of the most metabolic active cellular organelles and their regulations of signal transduction and nuclear transcription have been associated with amino acid and lipid metabolism that have been detected in AD patients. Experiments that focus on lysosome purification, metabolite extraction, and analysis of amino acid composition in mouse models will contribute to the understanding of age-associated changes in lysosomal metabolite features and the impact of AD pathology.

The core will study TFEB-mediated lysosome-to-nucleus signaling in aging and lifespan regulation based on FLIM-based imaging platform. The goal is to determine the association between lysosomal pH and AD pathologies.

Core Objectives

  • Support three research projects to assess changes in lysosomal pH and metabolic activity through harnessing the power of high-throughput, high accuracy Mass Spectrometry (MS)-based metabolomics and high-resolution fluorescence lifetime imaging muscroscopy (FLIM).
  • Perform lysosome-specific metabolomic profiling in aging and tauopathy mouse models.
  • Assess lysosomal pH changes using FLIM.