Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas 16 | Coleen Murphy on Aging, Biology, and the Future
Oct 1, 2018
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Start With Tractable Models
- Use simple model systems when tackling big biological questions because powerful genetic tools accelerate discovery.
- Start by comparing normal versus long-lived mutants to identify molecular differences to target.
Worms Reveal Early Predictors Of Longevity
- C. elegans is a tractable animal model with short lifespans and conserved genes that lets researchers link genes to aging phenotypes quickly.
- Isogenic worm cohorts reveal stochastic differences that can predict individual longevity from early molecular readouts.
Curling Worms Led To Parkinson’s Clues
- Murphy's lab fed worms bacteria expressing RNAi to knock down Parkinson's-linked genes and observed a novel curling swim defect.
- That unexpected phenotype led them to investigate branched-chain amino acid metabolism in Parkinson's models.