An Experimental Test of Senescence and Aging Mechanisms in a Free-living Organism

了解是什么决定了生物体衰老的速度以及为什么衰老是许多生物学家感兴趣的一个基本问题。 这项研究将解决年龄和行为如何相互作用，以确定衰老，生理性能的恶化和长寿的问题。 PI将测试衰老理论的主要模型，通过实验操纵一种自由生活的生物体（蜜蜂）中代谢昂贵的自然行为（觅食）的开始、强度和持续时间，这种生物体的社会复杂性与我们的相当。 氧化应激理论预测，早发病，高强度和/或长时间的觅食努力将加速衰老和寿命降低，和晚发病，低强度和/或短时间的觅食应该有相反的效果。 这项研究利用了蜜蜂模型系统的实验易处理性，并整合了分子，遗传，生理和行为的观点，以促进对限制寿命的因素的理解。该项目将促进教育、培训、学习和代表性不足群体的参与。 该项目将包括一名博士后学者，一名研究生，一名技术人员和几名本科生，其中许多人是代表性不足的群体的成员，目前在PI和co-PI的实验室工作。 这项研究的结果和观点将被整合到由PI和co-PI定期提供的各种大学课程，K-12演示和面向公众的外联机会中。

Understanding what determines how fast and why organisms age is a fundamental question of interest to many biologists. This research will address the question of how age and behavior interact to determine senescence, the deterioration of physiological performance, and longevity. The PIs will test major models of aging theory by experimentally manipulating the onset, intensity and duration of a metabolically-expensive natural behavior (foraging) in a free-living organism (honey bees) whose social complexity rivals our own. The oxidative-stress theory predicts that early onset, high intensity and/or long duration foraging effort will accelerate senescence and decrease longevity, and that late onset, low intensity and/or short duration foraging should have the opposite effects. This research takes advantage of the experimental tractability of the honey bee model system and integrates molecular, genetic, physiological, and behavioral perspectives to advance the understanding of factors that limit lifespan. This project will promote teaching, training, learning and the participation of underrepresented groups. This project will include a postdoctoral scholar, a graduate student, a technician and several undergraduates, many of whom are members of underrepresented groups and currently working in the laboratories of the PI and co-PI. The findings and perspectives of this research will be integrated into the diverse array of university courses, K-12 presentations and outreach opportunities for the general public that are routinely offered by the PI and co-PI.