Background
Mitochondria are membrane-bound cell organelles that are critical for energy production and cell metabolism. Mitochondria are located in the cytoplasm of cells and have their own DNA that is circular and approximately 17 kb. Aberrant mitochondrial function is a key component of cancer. Next generation sequencing has allowed researchers to characterise the somatic landscape of cancer genomes, which has led to the discovery of biomarkers that may be predictive and prognostic to targeted therapies. However, an area that is understudied is the prevalence of somatic mutations in mitochondria and their association with cancer development.
Aim
Aim 1 - Analyse whole genome sequencing from multiple cancer types to quantify mitochondria and characterise somatic mutations Aim 2 - Develop computational approaches to study mitochondrial genomes using long read DNA sequencing. This will involve mutation calling, quantification, assembly and methylation profiling Aim 3 - Determine how heterogenous mitochondria populations are within cancer samples and how they change overtime.
Project Potential
This work will provide insights into how mitochondria contribute to cancer development. This is an exciting project that is expected to result in significant new knowledge. We anticipate this work will lead to multiple publications and conference speaking opportunities.