Knowing exactly how the nervous system degenerates and becomes more vulnerable with age would further our understanding of how ageing occurs and how to prevent the debilitating neurological effects of ageing.
It is known that an organism’s immunity level trades off with various other functions and can effect the progression of age-related neurodegenerative diseases. We use the naturally-occurring variation in Drosophila immunity and ask how immunity trades off with lifespan and resistance to stress and how models of neurodegenerative diseases behave in a high and low immunity background.
This project, funded by the Gerald Kerkut Charitable Trust, BBSRC and the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, is a collaboration between Drs Lex Kraaijeveld, Amrit Mudher and Joel Parker, all of the School of Biological Sciences. Kirstin Williamson is the PhD-student carrying out most of the research.