How mobile DNA activity affects genes and aging
Official title: Genetic and genomic effects of increased transposition
Funded at Brandeis University · NIH-11172399 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at whether bursts of mobile DNA activity speed up aging by studying gene changes in fruit flies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brandeis University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Waltham, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $985,375 |
| NIH project number | 4RF1AG086692-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11172399 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This is laboratory research in fruit flies and does not enroll human participants or require patient volunteers.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate treatments or clinical trials for age-related diseases are unlikely to benefit directly from this basic research in the short term.
What this research studies
This project uses fruit flies to model how retrotransposons—mobile pieces of DNA—become more active with age. Scientists will genetically increase transposon activity in flies and follow lifespan, movement, and tissue health to see if extra transposition produces aging signs. They will map where transposons insert in the genome and measure how gene expression and cellular function change in aging tissues. The goal is to determine whether transposon activity is a cause or a consequence of aging to guide future work relevant to human age-related disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to new molecular targets to slow or prevent age-related decline.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies in animals and cell models have reported increased retrotransposon activity with age, but causal links to aging symptoms remain unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Brandeis University
Waltham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Marr, Michael Thomas — Brandeis University
- Study coordinator: Marr, Michael Thomas
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.