Study level

  • PhD
  • Master of Philosophy
  • Honours

Faculty/School

Faculty of Health

School of Biomedical Sciences

Topic status

We're looking for students to study this topic.

Research centre

Supervisors

Adjunct Professor Murray Mitchell
Position
Adjunct Professor
Division / Faculty
Faculty of Health
Dr Eman Mohamed Othman Mosaad
Position
Division / Faculty
Dr Hassendrini Peiris
Position
Division / Faculty

Overview

Exosomes are small (40-120 nm), stable, lipid bilayer nanovesicles identified in biological fluids (e.g. in milk, blood, urine and saliva). They contain a diverse array of signalling molecules, including mRNA, microRNA (miR), proteins, lipids and membrane receptors, and they interact with target cells via multiple pathways. The cargo of circulating exosomes can be indicative of a specific tissue’s health status, granting the capacity for use of exosomes as a tool for disease diagnosis. Moreover, they have many of the features desirable of an ideal drug delivery system (e.g. long circulating half-life, the intrinsic ability to target tissues and cross species compatibility). Therefore making them an ideal candidate to be investigated as a vehicle for delivering therapeutics. We hypothesise that exosomes can be manipulated to carry specific cargo and upon their delivery will alter the function of target cells.

As such, this project will investigate methods of loading exosomes with specific cargo (e.g. miRNA) and evaluated the functional changes in target cells following incubation with loaded exosomes(e.g changes in gene or protein expression).

Approaches, skills and techniques

Approaches required include exosomal isolation, next generation proteomics, microRNA sequencing, Western blot, ELISA and PCR arrays and differential analytical techniques.

Outcomes

This project is aimed to identify the potential methods for loading exosomes with therapeutic molecules and evaluate their actions upon cellular uptake. Improving and critically developing the therapeutic application of exosomes will be of benefit in many fields of human disease.

Required skills and experience

  • Interest and enthusiasm for biomedical research.
  • Able to work in multidisciplinary team environment.
  • Knowledge of basic biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, and basic laboratory techniques will be an advantage.

Keywords

Contact

Contact Professor Murray Mitchell for more information.