Dr Charles Affourtit

 Research - Mitochondrial Biology

Current lab members
Dr Adriana Raluca Vintila - postdoctoral research assistant
Miss Ruby Blackmore - placement student
Mr Archie Deakin - placement student
Dr Helen McKenna - Academic Clinical Fellow

Past lab members
Dr Rosie Donnell - PhD Student
Dr Jane Carre - Research Fellow (now University of Plymouth)
Mr Anthony Wynne - Research Associate (now Stericycle)
Dr Raid Nisr - Research Associate (now University of Dundee)
Dr Verena Hirschberg Jensen - Research Associate (now University of Copenhagen)
Dr Jonathan Barlow - PhD Student (now University of Birmingham)
Mr Hubert Bieluczyk - Research Associate (now The Pensions Regulator)
Mr Ben Alberts - Research Associate (now Oxford Biomedica)
Mr Joshua Reed - Summer Student (now Swansea University)


Teaching
Module Leader (BHCS1003 - Human Metabolism)
Lecturer (Foundation, Stages 1-3)
Personal Tutor
Dissertation Project Advisor

 PositionsUniversity of Plymouth

Degrees
 

To me, teaching and research are intimately linked activities, as I appreciate the importance of transferring cutting-edge knowledge and, perhaps more importantly, as I wish to inspire and enthuse the next generation of researchers. I currently teach fundamental biochemistry to undergraduates at all stages of various degree programmes and, firmly informed by my research, I show how this basic science underpins the development of metabolic disorders, and how it drives disease diagnosis and management. My lab engages actively with undergraduate (summer, placement and dissertation projects) and postgraduate (PhD and MSc projects) students to prepare them for independent research careers.

Generally, I am intrigued by the role of bioenergetic failure in disease pathophysiology. In particular, I wish to understand how mitochondrial dysfunction affects glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by pancreatic beta cells and the insulin responsiveness of skeletal muscle. Defects in insulin secretion and action that arise in obesity are both features of the Metabolic Syndrome, a cluster of medical disorders that collectively increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. As detailed in the reviews listed below, my current projects focus on the bioenergetics of (1) insulin secretion by pancreatic beta cells (2) obesity-related and (3) uraemic insulin resistance of skeletal muscle, and (4) dietary-nitrate-enhanced skeletal muscle function.
(1) Affourtit, C. Alberts, B., Barlow, J., Carré, J. E. and Wynne, A. G. (2018) Control of pancreatic beta cell bioenergetics. Biochemical Society Transactions, https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20170505
(2) Affourtit, C. (2016) Mitochondrial involvement in skeletal muscle insulin resistance - a case of imbalanced bioenergetics. BBA – Bioenergetics1857, 1678-1693. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbabio.2016.07.008
(3) Carré, J. E. and Affourtit, C. (2019) Mitochondrial activity and skeletal muscle insulin resistance in kidney disease. International Journal of Molecular Sciences20, 2751. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20112751
(4) Affourtit, C., Bailey, S. J., Jones, A. M., Smallwood, M. J. and Winyard, P. G. (2015) On the mechanism by which dietary nitrate improves human skeletal muscle function. Frontiers in Physiology6:211. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2015.00211

Dr Rosie Donnell (PhD, 2022) - Nitrite and insulin lower the oxygen cost of ATP synthesis in skeletal muscle cells by pleiotropic stimulation of glycolysisDr Jonathan Barlow (PhD, 2015) - Mitochondrial involvement in pancreatic beta cell glucolipotoxicity

Development of a novel circular economy plant protein derivative as a readily digestible dietary ingredient to support healthy ageing
Innovate UK - Better Food for All: Innovation for Improved Nutrition grant 10073099 (with Bell and Loxton Innovations Ltd)
Sept 2023 - Nov 2024
Total value: £342K (£164K to UoP)
Improving the management of sarcopenia through holistic insight in cellular energy metabolism 
University of Plymouth - Proof-of-Concept Challenge Fund
2023 - 2024
Total value: £29K
Mitochondrial biogenesis and cellular bioenergetic function in uraemic myopathy
Daphne Jackson Trust Fellowship supported by Kidney Research UK (Dr Jane Carre)
March 2019 - May 2021
Total value: £120K
 

 Measuring the bioenergetics of electrically stimulated skeletal muscle cells
IP Commercialisation Committee (PUPSMD) - Proof-of-Concept funding
November 2017 - March 2019
Total value: £99K
Unravelling the mechanism by which dietary nitrate improves human skeletal muscle function
University of Plymouth (PUPSMD) - PhD Studentship
October 2017 - September 2020
Total value: £60K


Nitrate and mitochondrial function
Daphne Jackson Trust Fellowship supported by the BBSRC (Mr Anthony Wynne)
November 2015 - October 2017
Total value: £120K


Toxicant-induced synaptic dysfunction and neurotoxicity in Parkinson's disease
National Institutes of Health, USA - Research Project Grant 1R01 ES22274-01A1 (with Kim Tieu (PI)and Robert Fern)
July 2015 - June 2018
Total value: $737K


Manipulating mitochondrial dynamics as a potential therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease
Medical Research Council - Research Grant MR/L022079/1 (with Kim Tieu (PI), Robert Fern and Erwan Bezard)
May 2014 - April 2017
Total value: £513K
 
Why do pancreatic beta cells waste energy?
Medical Research Council - New Investigator Research Grant G1100165/1
February 2012 - April 2016
Total value: £434K
 
Mitochondrial involvement in pancreatic beta cell lipotoxicity
University of Plymouth (Faculty of Science and Technology) - PhD Studentship
October 2011 - September 2014
Total value: £60K

Lectures
Division of Cell Signalling and Immunology, University of Dundee (2019)
British Association for the Study of the Liver, Annual Basic Science Retreat (2019)
Division of Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, King’s College London (2019)
MitOX Meeting, University of Oxford (2017)
University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, UK (2017)
School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK (2016)

Peer Review
Funding bodies: MRC, BBSRC, Wellcome Trust, Diabetes UK, Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, The Physiological Society, Austrian Science Council, Czech Science Foundation, The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development.
Journals: since July 2011, I have provided 212 pre-publication reviews for 57 journals including Nature, Cell Metabolism, Diabetes, and Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Full statistics: https://publons.com/author/1302470/charles-affourtit#stats


Committee
Athena SwanSelf-Assessment Team, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth 

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