Sex, diet and lifespan

The key question addressed in this project is to determine why each sex typically has a different length of life. Males and females possess distinct morphological, physiological and behavioural characteristics, of which differences in lifespan are among the most striking, but perhaps the least well understood. Length of life can also be extraordinarily plastic - varying significantly with reproductive status and nutrient availability. However, the extent to which lifespan is plastic in each sex also differs markedly. For example, sex differences in male vs female lifespan in fruitflies can be completely reversed by manipulations of diet and mating status via dramatic effects on females.

The main aim of the project is to test, using the latest experimental and bioinformatic tools in the fruitfly system, the idea that differences in male and female lifespan arise because each sex chooses and require different nutrients to maximise their lifespan and fitness.

The core idea is to test the effects of different experimental diets separately on male and female fitness, in the presence and absence of dietary choice.