1. If you were a researcher in the general field of developmental genetics/genomics, what are two questions (to which we don’t yet know the answer) that you would be investigating?

• Some animals live longer than others. What are the genes and transcripts involved in ageing in short-lived and long-lived animals? Can we edit the gene of an organism so that we increase its life span based on our findings?
• Can we predict the ageing processes of an organism by looking at the genetic condition of the parent given that the parent and the offspring had the same environmental factors?

2. Pick one of your two questions and briefly describe its potential impact (i.e., if you were to find an answer, what would be the effects on your area of research, on science in general, on society…?)

First question: What are the genes and transcripts involved in ageing in short-lived and long-lived animals? Can we edit the gene of an organism so that we increase its life span based on our findings?

• Ageing is an inevitable process in humans and other organisms. We can get more susceptible to diseases such as chronic inflammation and cancer. By understanding gene regulation involved in ageing, I wonder if we might be able to manipulate the ageing process and speed. This could lengthen the lifespan of an individual or help with offsprings that would inherit ageing related genetic conditions from parents. (?)