Uncovering TOR-mediated cholesterol sensing in gut-brain control of energy, behavior, and lifespan
Name of applicant
Alina Malita
Title
Postdoctoral Fellow
Institution
Oslo University Hospital and University of Glasgow
Amount
DKK 1,377,275
Year
2024
Type of grant
Internationalisation Fellowships
What?
This project will explore how cholesterol is sensed by specialized gut cells, using fruit flies as a model. The aim is to understand how dietary cholesterol, through this sensing mechanism, influences metabolism, behavior, and lifespan.
Why?
Understanding cholesterol sensing in the gut could reveal fundamental insights into how organisms regulate metabolism and adapt to different nutritional conditions, offering new perspectives on how cholesterol affects physiology and aging.
How?
We will use genetic and dietary manipulations in fruit flies paired with cutting-edge techniques to profile individual cells to investigate how gut cells sense cholesterol and how this affects whole-body processes. The project will involve studying gene activity and gut-brain communication pathways to determine the impact on metabolism and organismal health.