Biochemistry - Measuring the response of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons to drug toxicity

Supervisor: Dr Rachel Oldershaw

Supervisor bio: Dr Rachel Oldershaw is a stem cell biologist and a lecturer at the University of Liverpool. Her research is focused on the role of stem cells in the maintenance of tissue health and function and how impairment in stem cell biology contributes to the onset and progression of disease. Her research is also focused on how adult, embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells can be used in the development of regenerative medicines that repair damaged tissues, with a focus on the musculoskeletal system, the eye and cardiac tissues.

Email: lrao1@liverpool.ac.uk

School: School of Biosciences 

Department: Biochemistry

Module code: LIFE398

Suitable for students of Biology

Desirable experience/requirements: N/A

Places available: 1

Start date: 15th June 2026

Project length: 4 or 8 weeks 

Virtual option: No

Project description: 

The isolation and culture of human neurons is technically challenging and dependent on collection of small amounts of tissue discarded from invasive surgeries. The generation of a reproducible and scalable neurons derived from IPSCs, will enable application to research studies investigating normal and abnormal neural development, screening of drug efficacy to replace large scale use of animal models and the development of regenerative medicine and cell therapy protocols.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs) are cells that have been reprogrammed from a somatic (terminally-differentiated) cell to the pluripotent phenotype being able to self-renew and differentiate into multiple cell types. This project will use NMR metabolomics and bioenergetics to determine the metabolic changes that occur during neuron dysfunction using IPSC-derived neurons as an in vitro model. In the project IPSCs will be differentiated to the motor and sensory neurons using combinations of cytokines and growth factors that mimic the embryonic development. The efficiency of neuronal differentiation will be determined by analysis of genes and proteins expressed by neurons. Metabolic regulation of IPSC-derived neurons in response to drug treatment that induces a disease phenotype will be measured used NMR metabolomics. Training will be provided in maintenance and differentiation of IPSCs, semi-quantitative and quantitative PCR, immunofluorescence, NMR metabolomics, bioinformatics and computer modelling.

Additional requirements: N/A