Adam Osborne

In my experiences as a graduate student and postdoctoral fellow I have used molecular techniques and microbiological tools to study the relationship between mitochondrial damage and disease. I believe that my interest in mitochondrial dysfunction, drug side effects, and progression of disease would complement current research in the Department of Biology. Furthermore, one of my strengths for this position is that I am a trained molecular biologist with additional interdisciplinary experience in biochemistry. This background enables me to teach a broad range of courses and to engage students with diverse scientific interests. My graduate research focused on the development of a novel PCR based method for the rapid detection of mutations from large populations of DNA molecules. Such tools have enabled the virtual sequencing of targeted regions of the mitochondrial genome. Such assays have also allowed for the in depth examination of the drug AZT, used to treat HIV/AIDS, and its effects on the mitochondrial genome in a mammalian cell culture system (HepG2). While it had been known that AZT caused mitochondrial damage, the molecular basis for this damage was unknown. My work demonstrated that AZT treatment of HepG2 cells leads to mutations to the mitochondrial DNA, which in turn might lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and adverse side effects seen in long term AZT use in HIV/AIDS patients. In my postdoctoral research, I have continued to investigate the link between mitochondria and disease. My research has involved the development and use of PCR based assays to study if mitochondrial mutations can be correlated to the onset and development of type 2 diabetes in the model system of the Nile Rat. Additionally, I have continued using the HepG2 cell culture model to study the effects of a known anti-oxidant, Palm Fruit Juice, on the mechanism of AZT’s damage of mitochondrial DNA.