Project led by Yunnan University approved by national body

YNU professor Yang Chonglin leads his team to conduct scientific research. [Photo/ynu.edu.cn]

A project that is being led by Yunnan University, or YNU – located in Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province – recently received approval by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, or NSFC, as a major project in 2022.

As a result, the project – named "lysosome homeostasis regulation and related diseases" – has secured direct funding of 15 million yuan ($2.15 million).

It's being led by Professor Yang Chonglin of YNU's School of Life Sciences and is jointly being applied by the university, the Institute of Biophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan University and Capital Medical University.

Lysosomes are important organelles that coordinate cell degradation, metabolism and secretion. Their homeostasis and dysfunction can cause a variety of diseases. An organelle is a structure in a cell – such as a mitochondrion – that performs a special function.

The implementation of the project is expected to reveal the physiological significance of lysosomal homeostasis for cells and normal life activities of the body. It will also provide an important theoretical basis and treatment strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of related diseases.

YNU won the successful approval of the major NSFC project, which is the first breakthrough of the university in this kind of field in recent years.