The Functional Multi-omics of Aging Training Grant is funded by the National Institute on Aging and administered by the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics at the University of Minnesota Medical School. More about the T32 Institutional Research Training Grants can be found here.
Research on the biology of aging has revolutionized our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying healthy aging, using tools from genetics, molecular biology, biophysics, and protein biochemistry. These studies have provided valuable insights into aging, longevity, and the genesis of disease. Most importantly, recent advances in the field of aging biology, referred to as geroscience, are driven by sophisticated technologies, including proteomics. The focus of the FMATG Training Program is to use existing or emerging proteomics and related technologies to gain a greater understanding of “normal” aging and deeper insights into diseases that occur more frequently in older adults. These molecular details are requisite for developing rational therapeutic interventions that effectively combat disability due to either aging or disease.
Multi-omics comprises multiple technologies that use high-throughput data acquisition to study protein expression, protein modification, protein-protein interactions, and protein aggregation and degradation. Analyses yield profiling and/or quantification of native proteins, as well as isoforms, splice variants, mutants, protein–protein interactions, and post-translational modifications. Proteomics is one of the key technologies to investigate mechanisms and signaling in aging research.
The FMATG Trainees acquire both theoretical and experimental training in multi-omics through workshops, coursework, and hands-on research under the mentorship of distinguished faculty. This training program helps exceptional young scientists develop the intellectual and technical tools needed for productive careers as independent investigators and educators in aging research.