(422g) High-Content Phenotyping for Analysis of Aging and Its Regulators (Invited Speaker)

Aging is the main risk factor for many diseases and world population is projected to be increasingly comprised of older adults in coming decades. Revealing the molecular underpinnings of aging and longevity, and its functional and morphological impacts on an organism, are thus critical questions. The model system C. elegans has been fundamental for our current understanding of aging. This nematode provides multiple advantages that have made it a widely used model organism, such as being transparent and capable of expressing fluorescent tags, thus allowing in vivo analysis of biological processes at multiple scales. However, aging phenotypes are highly variable and complex. In this talk, I will present various approaches to study aging and longevity in C.elegans at the molecular, cellular, and organismal level, relying on microfluidic tools, high-content phenotyping aided by deep learning, and CRISPR/Cas9 genetic engineering. This work has enabled quantitative analysis of key aging molecular components and phenotypes that enable lifespan prediction, identification of aging-relevant genes, and the identification of aging-specific degenerative changes in neurons.