Sydney Jones
Pronouns: She/Her
Research Mentor(s): Christi Gendron
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Molecular and Integrative Physiology / Medicine
Program: UROPF
Session: Session 3 (11:00am – 11:50am)
Authors: Sydney Jones, Scott Pletcher, Christi Gendron
Abstract
The sensory system informs organisms about the world in which they live. The consequences of sensory perceptive events are not simply limited to decision-making behaviors; published evidence suggests that sensory perception directly influences physiology and aging in animals. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms by which sensory input influences aging may uncover novel therapeutic targets for aging and aging-related physiologies. To understand how sensory perceptive events, such as social interactions, impact aging, we propose using new technologies, such as the Fly Liquid-Food Interaction Counter (FLIC) and optogenetics, to observe how fly feeding changes and the neurons involved when an individual is kept in different social environments as they age. Before we can address this main question, we first needed to determine whether flies kept in the FLIC apparatus for their entire lifespan were generally healthy and, furthermore, if we could detect differences in feeding as the flies age. Through both FLIC experiments and more traditional dye feeding assays, we discovered that Drosophila life span was comparable or even better in the FLIC environment compared to traditional vial environments, and we were able to see a differences in feeding as the flies aged. Furthermore, in anticipation of future experiments where we will use optogenetics to modulate specific neural populations, we tested whether the green light itself affected fly lifespan. We saw that it did not. Therefore, we are confident that we have the tools to directly address how social interactions and the neurons involved drive feeding habits that impact their lifespan, and vice versa.
