Welcome to the homepage of the Guarente Lab at MIT!

In operation since 1982, the lab is currently located in MIT's Koch Biology Building (Building 68).

Leonard Guarente, Novartis Professor of Biology, is the principal investigator.

Why do living things age? What genes influence longevity? Is it possible to extend youthfulness by means of genetic manipulation? Our research analyzes these tantalizing questions and others in molecular details.

For an engaging discussion of the lab's history, check out Dr. Guarente's recent book
Ageless Quest: One Scientist's Search for Genes That Prolong Youth.

Based on the discovery that SIR2 is a key regulator of longevity in both yeast and worms, we are interested in determining whether this highly-conserved gene also governs longevity in mammals.