Nervous System Aging and Glia: Modeling with Experimental Insights
by Dr. Casey Spencer and Dr. Rodrigo Pena |
Why do brains slow down with age? We think astrocytes, support cells that feed and protect neurons, hold key answers. Using fruit flies and computer simulations, we will track how astrocytes change over time and how this affects a well-known escape-response circuit. Students will record nerve and muscle signals, watch cells with a confocal microscope, tweak genes to turn astrocytes on or off, and test fly reflexes. Computer models and AI tools will merge all the data, revealing how glial breakdown may lead to neurodegenerative diseases that emerge during aging.