We are using a genetic model organism to study the genetics of longevity as it relates to oxidative stress. Caenorhabditis elegans, a leading model organism for studies of longevity, has a completely sequenced genome and is unsurpassed for genetic analysis. I have selected mutants resistant to a chemical which induces oxidative stress via mitochondrial disruption. These mutants exhibit a dramatic increase in post-reproductive life expectancy. The mutant nematodes are not only being tested for longevity, but also for cross-resistance against a range of oxidative stressors. We are currently engaged in the map-based cloning of the mutated genes and are testing previously characterised stress resistant mutants for a longevity phenotype
