Brother Completes Internship in Biochemistry

Peter interned in the laboratory of Keith Nehrke, Ph.D., in the Department of Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York. Peter’s research focused on using the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans to study mitophagy, the process through which damaged or dysfunctional mitochondria are eliminated. Specifically, he examined the role of an hypoxia-induced mitophagy receptor in eliminating sperm mitochondria following fertilization. Nematodes, much like humans, follow a strict maternal pattern of inheritance of mitochondrial DNA; this study may help to elucidate the mechanism behind this phenomenon. Pete's research opportiunity was funded by W&J’s Merck Internships program.