There are conserved modulators of lifespan from yeast to mammals (indicated in the figure, you can turn down the levels of the same genetic pathway in different species and extend lifespan in each of those species).  By studying aging in yeast, we seek to learn about how cells change with age and what cellular pathways contribute to aging, in order to ultimately help identify therapeutic targets to treat age-associated diseases.  

In order to bring a drug to market, the molecule under study must first pass through clinical trials and be determined to be safe for use in humans. This is an expensive and time-consuming process and most compounds fail to make it beyond this point. We are screening through drugs already approved for use in humans in order to identify novel inhibitors of one of the most promising biological pathways robustly shown to influence aging, the mTOR pathway.

Our lab works with clinicians to model suspected human disease associated mutations in the simple eukaryotic model organism, yeast.  If the mutation is conserved, then we use CRISPR to alter the yeast genome to model the mutation, and then perform targeted phenotyping to assess if functional consequences arise from the mutation. Areas of current ongoing research include mTOR,  the V-ATPase, and the rare disease, porphyria.

The lab is interested in how alterations in cellular pH homeostasis affect cell physiology, and how pH and metal dyshomeostasis might contribute to aging and age-associated diseases.

We have developed a biochemistry course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) using CRISPR.  The series of laboratory experiments are designed to equitably provide students with authentic scientific research experiences by allowing students to formulate their own novel hypotheses and to ask questions with unknown answers.  Email (cure at wasko.org) if you are interested in detailed protocols, reagents, etc.