In December 2014, the School of Biosciences’ lecturer in Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, Dr. Anastasios Tsaousis was awarded a research grant for his research project on the mitochondrion-related organelles of Blastocystis.
The funding amounted to £383, 723 and was awarded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) for three years to start this month until March 2018.
Here is a lay summary about the research, by Dr. Tsaousis:
Blastocystis is a single cell eukaryotic organism with undetermined pathogenicity. It is currently estimated that this organism is present in the guts of more than a million people worldwide with several reports showing an association of this organism with gastrointestinal diseases including Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
Blastocystis also has another unique characteristic: it has adapted to survive in environments that lack any oxygen and it is therefore very difficult to maintain in culture. These characteristics make Blastocystis unique and thus a model organism for investigating the adaptations of various organisms under anaerobic conditions.
In this project, we will investigate the adaptations of the mitochondria of Blastocystis. Typical mitochondria are considered to be the “powerhouses of the cell” and their energy production is based on aerobic respiration, which is completely dependent on the presence of oxygen.
Due to the unique lifestyle of Blastocystis its mitochondria have adapted to a “life without oxygen” and accumulated unique characteristics to support the organism with energy along with other valuable components.
We will attempt to characterise these adaptations but also provide insights into how these mechanism can be used in synthetic biology and as anti-microbial drug-targets.
For more information about Dr. Tsaousis and to find out about his other research areas and interests, visit http://www.kent.ac.uk/bio/profiles/staff/tsaousis.html