Research focus
The Unit of Neurogenetics and Ageing is part of the Department of Physiology (Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; NKUA). We use the non-parasitic and soil-dwelling nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, to investigate the molecular mechanisms of neuronal functional and neuronal circuit formation during development, stressed conditions and ageing. C. elegans provides a unique opportunity to study synapse and neuronal circuits because the entire connectome of its 302 neurons has been reconstructed and defined. Additionally, the nematode neurons share many functional characteristics, including neurotransmitters, receptors, and neuromodulators, with higher organisms. Despite its extremely simple nervous system, C. elegans shows a wide variety of responses from a simple aversion upon mechanical stimuli, to relatively complicated behaviors, such as associative learning and memory. Notably, age-associated decline of synaptic function is evolutionarily conserved in organisms as diverse as the worm C. elegans and humans, signifying commonalities in the underlying molecular mechanisms.
The central aim for our research is to shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlining ageing and age-related deterioration of the nervous system. Our research focuses on mitochondrial quality control mechanisms investigating the role of energy metabolism on tissue and organismal homeostasis. Our lab has received a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Investigator Grant to investigate the role of mitophagy in synaptic plasticity and function. Moreover, our interests involve testing the effects of different natural and chemical compounds on C. elegans physiology and lifespan, developing nematode models of human neurodegenerative diseases and the development of novel genetic tools for biomedical research.
