Deciphering stress response in healthy aging

Background: When organisms encounter stressors such as heat, nutrient deprivation, or oxidative damage, cells form stress granules (SGs)—aggregates of proteins and RNA. SGs protect mRNAs and proteins from degradation, allowing cells to resume normal functions once stress is removed. However, stress responsiveness declines with age. Aging cells accumulate damaged macromolecules due to impaired proteostasis and experience elevated oxidative stress, creating a detrimental feedback loop in which stress accelerates aging, and aging weakens stress responses.

Hypothesis: Aging represents a gradual accumulation of chronic cellular stress that disrupts SG dynamics. Aberrant or persistent SGs may impair stress adaptation. Properly balanced SG dynamics may therefore support healthy aging and extend lifespan.

Importance: Role of SG in organismal aging remains poorly understood. C. elegans offers a powerful model to study aging-related processes due to its short lifespan, genetic tractability, conserved pathways and transparency, allowing high-resolution live microscopy.

Aim: This project aims to examine how SG composition, dynamics and stress responsiveness change with age using three objectives:

1.         Assess age-dependent SG composition. SGs will be purified from young and old worms under oxidative or heat stress and analysed by mass spectrometry and RNA-seq, alongside core SG protein-level changes by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting.

2.         Determine how impaired SG function affects aging. Using wild-type and core SG gene mutants, we will measure lifespan, fecundity, locomotion, and additional aging markers.

3.         Evaluate age-related changes in stress recovery. SG dynamics will be monitored in young and old wild-type and SG gene mutant animals to test whether aging compromises SG dynamics.

Overall, this project will uncover physiological changes in stress response as we age and provide a springboard for future validation of identified candidates for promoting healthy aging.

Candidates should have been awarded, or expect to achieve, EITHER:

a] a First or Upper Second Class award in their Undergraduate Degree (Bachelors or UG Masters) from a UK institution, in a subject judged by Aston to be relevant to the proposed research.

Alternativley

b] a Merit (or above)* in a Postgraduate Masters degree in a relevant subject AND an Undergraduate Degree (Bachelors or UG Masters), both from UK institutions.

*where appropriate.

Qualifications from overseas institutions will be also considered but performance must be equivalent to that described above, and the University reserves the right to ascertain this equivalence according to its own criteria.

Financial Support

This project covers the Home tuition fees. Candidates who do not have Home status will be responsible for the difference in tuition fees. Currently, the difference between ‘Home’ and the ‘Overseas’ tuition fees is £17,712 for 2026/7.  

Overseas Applicants

Overseas applicants may apply for this studentship but will need to pay the difference between the ‘Home’ and the ‘Overseas’ tuition fees. Currently, the difference between ‘Home’ and the ‘Overseas’ tuition fees is £17,712 for 2026/7. As part of the application, you will be required to confirm that you will provide this additional funding. Please indicate this on the application form in the funding section.
 

Apply through our PhD application form.

When applying:

• For University College, please select Health Sciences
• For Degree Programme, please select Research Health Sciences (including Optometry, Pharmacy, and Psychology Research Areas) and your preferred entry date.

The supervisor can be contacted at z.balklava@aston.ac.uk.  When applying, please upload copies of your discussions with the supervisor as confirmation.

Overseas Applicants

Overseas applicants may apply for this studentship but will need to pay the difference between the ‘Home’ and the ‘Overseas’ tuition fees. Currently the difference between ‘Home’ and the ‘Overseas’ tuition fees is £17,712 for 2026/7. As part of the application, you will be required to confirm that you will provide this additional funding. Please indicate this on the application form in the funding section. This project has associated consumables costs which should be discussed with the supervisor in the first instance and before applying. The supervisor can be contacted at z.balklava@aston.ac.uk. When applying, please upload copies of your discussions with the supervisor as confirmation.

Apply now

If you require further information about the application process please contact the Postgraduate Admissions team at pgr_admissions@aston.ac.uk

Supervisor: Dr Zita Balklava

Associate Supervisor: Dr Mariaelena Repici

Contact information

For formal enquiries about this project contact: z.balklava@aston.ac.uk

PhD programmes are for those who are seeking to develop greater in-depth knowledge in a specific area. Completing this level of study is about making an original contribution to knowledge, making new discoveries and developing lifelong skills. 

Studying a PhD is great route into academia and industries that are centred on research and innovation. Areas with a demand for very high level and specialised research skills often demand PhDs.

In addition to this specialist knowledge, PhD education will help you to develop a set of valuable transferrable skills. The very nature of studying an intensive research degree will enable you to become a team player, develop problem-solving skills, analytical thinking, and advanced presentation and communication skills.