20th Anniversary
Oct 14-18, 2024
Los Altos High School
Yong Pan, PhD
Review Editor
Frontiers Media
Lessons on Aging: Using yeast to study mitochondria
Science
What can a scientist do with Baker’s yeast, a common household item? In addition to its essential roles in the food industry, yeast proves to be a powerful tool in academic and industrial research. Metabolic processes that break down nutrients, such as sugar, are similar between yeast and humans. Like humans, yeast hosts mitochondria, a sub-cellular structure that oxidizes nutrients to extract energy. Oxidation in mitochondria is not 100% efficient, forming reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the process. I have focused my research on how yeast controls sugar metabolism, regulates ROS production, and influences culture aging. I will focus the discussion on yeast as a tool to understand metabolic fundamentals and lessons on healthy aging applicable to everyday living.
Meet the Speaker:
Yong Pan Ph.D. is a molecular biologist and biochemist by training. He has focused his research on metabolism and bioenergetics in his roles in academia and industry. He enjoys scientific story-telling and serves as review editor of Frontier journals. He earned a Ph.D. degree in Cell Biology from Yale University and a B.A. in Molecular Biology from Middlebury College.