06/19/2023
By Kwok Fan Chow

The Kennedy College of Science, Department of Chemistry, invites you to attend a Ph.D. Research Proposal defense by Prabath Swarna Sri Meemaduma entitled “Differential Effects of Aging on Slow and Fast Skeletal Muscles: A Multiomics Study.”

Degree: Doctoral
Location: Olney, Room 518
Date: Wednesday, June 28, 2023
Time: 10 a.m.

Committee Chair: Prof. Matthew Gage, Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Committee Members:

  • Prof. Jeffrey R. Moore, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Prof. Pengyuan Liu, Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Prof. Jennifer L. Fish, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Prof. Frédéric JJ Chain, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract:
Skeletal muscles lose their strength and atrophies with age. The reduction of muscle strength with age can be attributed to several factors. Fiber length shortening and muscle fiber architecture changes such as fast fibers getting replaced by slow fibers are two major factors reported in previous literature. In this study we take a multi-omics approach to look into the changes due to aging at a molecular level which will bring about physiological changes at a macro scale. Our main focus is the differences in the response of fast-fibered and slow-fibered muscles due to aging.

To explore the molecular level changes taking place due to the aging process, we plan to explore the transcriptome and proteome of mice at different ages. We expect the changes at the fiber level to differ based on the fiber type in the muscle tissue. We plan to compare muscle tissues with a majority of fast-twitch fibers and tissues with the majority of slow-twitch fibers. We are choosing two representative muscles, Soleus and Psoas, for having majority of slow-twitch type and fast-twitch type muscle fibers, respectively. Gene expression at different ages and how it differentially affects fast and slow fibers will be explored, along with the expression levels of known muscle structural proteins.

All interested students and faculty members are invited to attend.