Worm Lab
Neuronal Aging, Botanicals and Stress
Caenorhabditis elegans
Welcome to the Taylor Neuronal Aging Laboratory. We are interested in the effects of phyto- and mycochemicals and environmental factors that influence aging of the nervous system and other tissues, which we investigate using the facile experimental model C. elegans to decipher the basic biology of healthspan (the period of healthy maintenance prior to detectable functional or structural decline). C. elegans is an important model for human diseases because it has many biological features in common with humans, such as muscles, nerves and digestive tract and the production of sperm and eggs. In addition, many signaling pathways underlying lifespan extension and complex behaviors are conserved between C. elegansand mammals. In particular, there are many stress-induced molecular pathways that are conserved between worms and mammals. Importantly, these pathways have human homologs and bear relevance to human diseases and aging, suggesting that it is possible to screen for specific molecular targets with relevance to humans. We use a variety of C. elegans models of human disease to assess the medicinal potential of Alaskan flora and fungi.
Active Areas of Study
Alaskan Botanicals
Courtney Nichols
Research Summary
All humans show signs of aging over time and aging is the number one risk factor for the development of neurodegenerative diseases. However, certain natural products and cellular signaling pathways and proteins are known to alter aging in many model organisms and in humans. I study the effects of Alaskan botanicals and insulin signaling on neuronal aging using the model nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. Through these studies, we hope to elucidate the mechanism of changing neuronal morphology and function with age with the goal of establishing precedent for novel therapies for neurodegenerative disease.
Insulin Signaling
Heather Currey, Skyler Hunter
Research Summary
Aging is a fundamental process driven not by the simple deterioration of cells, but instead subject to the regulation of biological pathways. Lifespan in C. elegans has been clearly linked to the Insulin Signaling Pathway (IIS). Daf-2, the receptor of the IIS in C. elegans is an ortholog of human IGF-1. Daf-2 knockdown mutants display a doubling of lifespan. In understanding a biological process it is often helpful to compare healthy and unhealthy models; in this study we compare wild type C. elegans to Huntington’s Disease neuronal model. We are attempting to establish how post-transcriptionally silencing (using RNA interference) members of the insulin gene family affects the development of neuronal aberrations in the C. elegans and thereby discern their effects on neuronal aging.
Stress Response
Adam Paskvan, Elena Vayndorf
Reseach Summary
We are interested in aging, stress response, and the health benefits of natural products. Using thes C. elegans model we study how organisms cope with stress over time, what changes take place in the nervous system with age, and why natural products can offer health benefits against deleterious effects associated with the aging process. We are evaluating the medicinal potential of Alaskan flora and fungi to delay the onset of and alleviate symptoms and molecular endpoints associated with three chronic diseases of particular importance to Alaska Natives: type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, and Alzheimer's.