Marina Feric: Unraveling Cellular Organization to Combat Aging

Marina Feric, a professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and assistant professor of chemistry at Penn State, researches the principles of cellular organization. Her work is motivated by a desire to understand aging and increase the human health span.

Biomolecular Condensates: Key to Cellular Function

Feric's primary research focus is on biomolecular condensates, which are membrane-less structures within cells, such as the nucleolus and p-granules, that can maintain their own composition. These condensates form through a process called phase separation, where specific biomolecules concentrate together for particular cellular functions.

Understanding these structures and their role in aging is central to her research.

A Serendipitous Discovery in Mitochondrial Nucleoids

As a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Feric studied these processes within mitochondria, which contain their own genome (mtDNA) packaged into membrane-less droplets called nucleoids. While attempting to image these nucleoids, Feric observed an unexpected phenomenon: the nucleoids began to fuse into larger droplets, similar to pathogenic nucleoids found in a premature aging disease.

Mimicking Aging: From Observation to Controlled Study

This observation occurred because a visualization label used for imaging reacted to microscope light, forming reactive oxygen species that stressed the mitochondria, thereby mimicking the conditions seen in the premature aging disease.

This discovery led to the development of a controlled system to study how these coarsened nucleoids form over the course of aging.

Pioneering Research on Mitochondrial Condensates and Aging

Feric's lab now investigates these biomolecular condensates of mtDNA and proteins within the mitochondria and their role in aging and age-related diseases. The lab employs approaches including biophysics, biochemistry, cell biology, and advanced microscopy.

Research areas include how mitochondrial condensates form, their role in controlling gene expression from mtDNA, factors influencing aging, and their coordination with the nuclear genome.

The ultimate goal is to lead to breakthroughs that could increase human health span and potentially reverse interactions that contribute to aging.