Genetics and Ageing Laboratory
R217
Department: Biology
Lab Director: Dr. Tony Parkes
The primary research interests of the Genetics and Ageing Lab involve the genetics and molecular biology of oxygen free radicals, toxic forms of oxygen generated as a byproduct of normal cellular metabolism, and how they affect ageing. Oxygen free radicals are unstable molecules that can react quickly with other atoms and molecules, causing damage to living tissues. It is the accumulation of such damage that is believed to be the root cause of the ageing process and lead to specific age-related diseases as well as general functional decline.