Somatic Mutation Rate: Evolution’s formula for senescence?

Aging or senescence is an integral part of life.

Aging not only increases mortality risk in every individual, but also is a multifaceted process leading to widespread functional impairment in every tissue.

However, despite our extensive knowledge on the evolution of aging, little is known about the proximate mechanisms by which aging is manifested.I propose to start filling this gap by studying a universal process on which aging can be grounded, the somatic mutation rate (SMR). Somatic mutations accumulate throughout life and can cause functional impairment.

Therefore, SMR is likely to be harnessed to prompt aging-related physiological deterioration.

To study this, I take advantage of the genetic tools available in the model organism, Drosophila melanogaster, and a laboratory evolution approach to interrogate the link between SMR and aging.

This will be achieved by comparing life-histories between populations that evolved long and short lifespans, and populations evolving from high and low standing SMR.The project AgingSoma will be conducted at the Biology Department at Lund University, with me as the Principal Investigator and two prospective master students.

I expect that in the four years available, AgingSoma will advance our understanding of the unifying cause of aging, offering illuminating insights on germline aging and stimulating biomedical innovations to tackle aging and aging-related diseases.