# Genetic and genomic effects of increased transposition

> **NIH NIH R01** · BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $331,187

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Aging can be defined as the progressive gradual decline in physiological function. It is the major risk factor for
human pathologies that lead to disease, morbidity and mortality. Therefore, a better understanding of aging and
the processes that affect lifespan at the molecular level remains an important problem in modern biology and
medicine. Recent observations have highlighted a potential new process as a possible driver of aging and age-
associated disease. As an organism ages, retrotransposon mRNA expression increases. What is lacking, at this
point, is an understanding of how this retrotransposon expression can cause aging and aging-related
phenotypes.
Drosophila has long served as a very useful model system to understand the molecular underpinnings of aging.
In addition to a relatively short lifespan, Drosophila has well-developed genetic tools and a long history of
observations of the effects of age on the organism. To complement this is a long history of work to understand
transposon biology in this organism. This makes Drosophila particularly well-suited to set up a new model to
understand the role of retrotransposon activity in aging and aging-related phenotypes. The goals of this project
are to set up and characterize a Drosophila system to understand whether transposon activity is a cause or effect
of aging.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10855751
- **Project number:** 1R01AG086692-01
- **Recipient organization:** BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** MICHAEL Thomas MARR
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $331,187
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10855751

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10855751, Genetic and genomic effects of increased transposition (1R01AG086692-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10855751. Licensed CC0.

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