From Genes to Networks

One of the qualitative findings of Genescient’s Methuselah fly work so far has been that there are many, many genes, proteins and biological networks operating differently in Methuselah flies versus normal flies. It’s not that one or two or fifty genes have been tweaked – a vast number of biological subsystems have been gradually adapted to achieve increased healthspan, and in an intimately coordinated way.

In collaboration with bioinformatics firm Biomind LLC, Genescient scientists have applied AI algorithms to isolate particular genes and gene-combinations that play particularly pivotal roles in age-associated disease, and to find genes that serve as hubs in the genetic interaction network. Current research involves using these methods to enable the isolation of medically and economically viable drugs for combating age-associated diseases. And the more fully we can comprehend the underlying complex networks, the easier and more reliable the drug discovery process will be.