Final Report Summary - NEURONAGE (Molecular Basis of Neuronal Ageing)
• Development of a microfluidics platform for high-throughput manipulation and imaging of specific neurons in individual animals, in vivo.
• Use the platform for monitor neuronal function during ageing in isogenic populations of wild type animals, long-lived mutants and animals under caloric restriction, a condition known to extend lifespan from yeast to primates
• Elucidation of how ageing modulates susceptibility to neuronal damage in nematode models of human neurodegenerative disorders.
• Identification and characterization of modifiers of resistance to ageing-inflicted neuronal function decline.
Together, these studies promote understanding of age-related breakdown of neuronal function and provide critical insights with broad relevance to human health and quality of life.