2017

Glenn Foundation for Medical Research and AFAR Grants for Junior Faculty


Darcie Moore, PhD

Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin, Madison

The molecular mechanisms underlying asymmetric segregation of aging factors in mammalian neural stem cells

Stem cells decline with age, contributing to organismal aging. It’s been found that neural stem cells, or stem cells in the brain, rejuvenate themselves during cell division by passing damaged material to just one of their two daughter cells while leaving the other cell clean. But this process deteriorates with age, causing both daughter cells to inherit damaged material and limiting their function.

Because of the technical difficulty in studying this event in dividing stem cells, there is very little information on its underlying molecular mechanisms. To better understand this process and reveal novel targets for stem cell aging, new technologies are needed.

Dr. Moore will address this need by creating a novel live-imaging screening platform to study stem cells as they divide. The platform will take images of how the cells segregate damage by tracking fluorescent fusion proteins during division. By applying these automated imaging techniques to a genome-wide study in stem cells, Dr. Moore’s team will observe which mutations lead to changes in segregation. “Hits” from this screen will be characterized for how they change with age, how they function in asymmetric segregation, and whether their functioning can be improved to rescue aging stem cell behavior.

Dr. Moore believes that understanding this segregation system in neural stem cells may also be informative in understanding what happens in other stem cells of the body. Therefore, her experiments could greatly contribute to the field of stem cell biology and aging, and identify therapeutic targets to improve aging-related diseases.

More 2017 Recipients of this Grant

Luis Batista, PhD

The impact of progressive telomere shortening on mitochondria function and energy metabolism of human stem cells

Peter Douglas, PhD

Stress-mediated actin phosphorylation in endocytosis and age regulation

Sergei Doulatov, PhD

The role of autophagy in human hematopoietic stem cell aging

Michael Garratt, PhD

Sensory perception of the social environment: regulation of mouse development, metabolism and aging

Vyacheslav Labunskyy, PhD

Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) stress resistance and longevity

Vittorio Sebastiano, PhD

Transient reprogramming for efficient cell-autonomous reversal of age-associated phenotypes

Archana Unnikrishnan, PhD

Role of DNA methylation in Dietary Restriction mediated insulin sensitivity

Rui Xiao, PhD

Cold-Shock Proteins (CSPs) in stress response and lifespan modulation

Amir Zarrinpar, MD, PhD

The relationship of gut luminal dynamics and aging-related circadian dysfunction and dysmetabolism