Interrogating Genetic Modifiers Of Tau Toxicity In Drosophila Melanogaster

Ageing is an inevitable and natural process that happens not only to humans but affects almost all living organisms. Neurodegeneration is a pathological state where the normal symptoms of ageing are enhanced, through loss or dysfunction of specific populations of neurons. These fatal, debilitating, late-onset conditions affect millions of people worldwide, but also impact on the lives of close relatives. Currently there are no cures and treatments are very limited, showing the great need for research to better understand these disorders.

Our research into neurodegenerative disease uses a mutant version of TAU, introduced into the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, obtaining a robust tauopathy model. We then employ a variety of different metrics to assess the progression of pathology; interrogating different genetic modifiers within such models helps us to better understand the underlying mechanisms of disease and interplay between different pathways.