Understanding the biology of longevity and ageing using a nematode model
Ageing (senescence) is the main cause of disease in the world today, yet the nature of the biological mechanisms that cause ageing remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in science. An ideal model organism in which to study ageing is the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. This species has well-developed genetics, its ~100 million base pair genome is fully sequenced, and its life span is a mere 2-3 weeks. Importantly, numerous mutations have been identified in C. elegans which alter the rate of ageing, with some mutants living up to 10-times longer than wild-type worms. By understanding ageing in a simple animal like C. elegans we hope to begin to unravel the mystery of human ageing, and the wide range of diseases that it causes, from cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, to osteoarthritis and cancer.

A focus of current work in this laboratory is understanding the biological mechanisms that cause pathologies of ageing, and how such pathologies lead to mortality; and how reduced insulin/IGF-1 signalling and dietary restriction suppress ageing and increase lifespan. Other interests include the mechanisms of organismal death, sex differences in the biology of ageing, the role of the microbiome in ageing, evolutionary conservation of mechanisms of ageing, and bioethical implications of ageing research. Funded for our research has been received from the BBSRC, the European Union and the Wellcome Trust.

Research Team

Hannah Chapman, Research technician, email: hannah.chapman@ucl.ac.uk
Mike Cao, Masters (M.Res.) student, email: langlin.cao.20@ucl.ac.uk
David Gems (PI), Professor of Biogerontology, email: david.gems@ucl.ac.uk
Kuei Ching Hsiung, Postdoc, email: kuei.hsiung@ucl.ac.uk
Carina Kern, Postdoc, email: carina.kern.16@ucl.ac.uk
Marie Maeland, M.Sci. research project student, email: marie.maeland.19@ucl.ac.uk
James Rawson, Masters (M.Res.) student, email: james.rawson.21@ucl.ac.uk
Xiaoya Wei, B.Sc. laboratory research project student, email: xiaoya.wei.19@ucl.ac.uk
Janice Wong, B.Sc. laboratory research project student, email: janice.wong.19@ucl.ac.uk
Aihan Zhang, Ph.D. student, email: aihan.zhang.19@ucl.ac.uk
Bruce Zhang, Ph.D. student, email: bruce.zhang.18@ucl.ac.uk

Autumn 2021: New study in Nature Communications describing the discovery of lactation in C. elegans coupled to life-shortening costs. New article in Ageing Research Reviews presenting a critique of the hallmarks of ageing. New study in Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology arguing that C. elegans experience semelparous reproductive death. For details see publications.

Hear Bruce Zhang talk about the new helminth infection and inflammageing theory in a Naked Scientists podcast