Autophagy

The cellular process of autophagy is responsible for the removal of defective and damaged cellular components, by trafficking them to the lysosome for degradation. There is now growing evidence that autophagy regulates the ageing process, and that increased levels of autophagy provoked by caloric restriction or pharmacological intervention can extend the life span of organisms.
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We are currently investigating how changes in individual lipid species of the lipidome can regulate autophagic activity in cells, ultimately to understand the consequences of these changes to the healthy lifespan of the whole animal.