John G. Tower

Ph.D.

Associate Professor

College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Department of Molecular Biology

The long term goals of his project are to identify genes which directly affect the longevity of Drosophila, and ultimately, mammals. The candidates for this function in Drosophila are the heat shock genes, and a number of other genes which have been found to be differentially expressed at the transcriptional level during aging. Any correlation of their expression with longevity will be determined by examining RNA levels in strains of flies which have been genetically selected for postponed aging ("O" strains), and their controls ("B" strains). A direct role in regulating longevity will then be assayed by experimentally increasing and decreasing the expression of the genes in transgenic flies.

 

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