Research Mentor(s)
Dan Pollard
Description
Aging is a degenerative process that still has many aspects to be understood. However, recent studies have revealed that the rate of aging can, to a certain degree, be controlled by biochemical processes and genetic pathways. A symptom of aging is a progressive loss of control over which genes are turned on or off. Studies using brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) have shown that regions of the genome that are normally turned off are derepressed in older cells resulting in a dramatic increase of the chance of gene expression. Our study aims to characterize when the loss of control begins, as well as how it changes across the lifespan. To do this, we propose to use single-cell imaging techniques to study these derepression dynamics in yeast. This study has the potential to contribute to our understanding of the aging process, why we age, and how we can potentially work to mitigate the effects of aging in humans.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
May 2022
End Date
May 2022
Location
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
Department
CSE - Biology
Genre/Form
student projects; posters
Type
Image
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Investigating Age-Related Loss of Chromatin Silencing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
Aging is a degenerative process that still has many aspects to be understood. However, recent studies have revealed that the rate of aging can, to a certain degree, be controlled by biochemical processes and genetic pathways. A symptom of aging is a progressive loss of control over which genes are turned on or off. Studies using brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) have shown that regions of the genome that are normally turned off are derepressed in older cells resulting in a dramatic increase of the chance of gene expression. Our study aims to characterize when the loss of control begins, as well as how it changes across the lifespan. To do this, we propose to use single-cell imaging techniques to study these derepression dynamics in yeast. This study has the potential to contribute to our understanding of the aging process, why we age, and how we can potentially work to mitigate the effects of aging in humans.