DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Evolution of the metabolome across the Drosophila phylogeny

Why do some species live longer than others? Scientists have identified molecular pathways that influence the lifespan of model organisms in the laboratory. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms that account for the enormous variation that we see among species, from mayflies that live for a day, to clams that can live for centuries. This project will use metabolomics to investigate mechanisms that influence lifespan. Metabolomics involves measuring and analyzing the thousands of small molecules (metabolites) circulating within an organism. Enzymatic proteins help regulate metabolite levels, and although protein evolution is well studied, little is known about the evolution of metabolite levels. This project will measure metabolite levels at various ages during the lifespan in ten species of fruit flies (Drosophila spp.) to determine if selection affects the rate at which metabolomic profiles diverge over evolutionary time and if the evolution of fitness traits is tied to evolutionary change in specific biochemical pathways. This study will be one of the first to use metabolomics to answer evolutionary based scientific questions, and the presentation of the results will enable more scientists to understand the evolution of metabolomics. This project involves the combination of different scientific fields (evolutionary biology, molecular biology, and statistics). As such, undergraduate researchers involved in this project will have the opportunity to learn to combine multiple research approaches, including organismal, molecular, and quantitative, to carry out high-level scientific inquiry.