2014 participants

Osinachi Nwankwo

  • BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences
  • Defining copper pools in a model eukaryote

Diseases relating to the incorrect regulation of copper distribution include Menkes and Wilson’s disease in humans and the neurological disorder swayback disease in sheep. Copper is also important for the human immune system.  This project is directed towards understanding the signalling systems responsible for copper uptake and distribution in eukaryotic cells. We will work with Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model organism to establish a profile of copper distribution in a eukaryotic cell.  This will be used in future studies to better our understanding of the role of copper in human and animal disease.

Funding source: Wellcome Trust