Welcome to the Leonard Guarente lab at MIT. In operation since 1982, the lab is currently located in MIT’s Koch Biology Building (Building 68).
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 detail.
For an engaging discussion of the lab’s history, see Dr. Guarente’s 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.
Dr. Leonard Guarente is the Director of The Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research at MIT which has been generously funded since 2008 by The Glenn Foundation for Medical Research.