Unraveling the mechanisms behind Mitochondrial Transfer from Bone Marrow Stromal cells to T cells and its role in Host Immunity

Mitochondria are organelles (‘little organs’) of the cell that generate the majority of its energy and have been shown to play a key role in host immunity. Recent evidence has demonstrated that mitochondria within a cell are not fixed, but are capable of transferring from one cell to another through a process known as ‘mitochondrial transfer’. My project focus on the transfer of mitochondria from bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) to immune T cells. The objectives of the project are to explore the effect of BMSC mitochondrial transfer cells on (i) immune T cell functionality (in particular ROS production) and (ii) its role in adaptive immune cell responses. The MSCA fellowship and tailored training program will help me towards my career goal of establishing my own junior research group by increasing my academic track record, helping me gain critical supervisory/teaching experience, and expand my technical/transferrable skill sets.