Student Research Symposium Program Portal: Submission #191

Abstract This project explores how dietary macronutrient balance and exercise influence lifespan and metabolic health using Drosophila melanogaster as a model for human nutrition and aging. The primary goal is to examine how variations in the protein to carbohydrate ratio, combined with physical activity, affect longevity-related outcomes. Understanding optimal macronutrient composition is important because dietary balance plays a central role in metabolic regulation, muscle function, and age-related decline in humans.

Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful model organism due to strong genetic and physiological similarities to humans. Approximately 60 percent of human genes have functional equivalents in flies, and nearly 75 percent of genes associated with human disease are conserved. Flies also exhibit age-related declines in locomotor activity and mitochondrial function similar to humans, making them especially valuable for studying exercise, aging, and metabolic disease.

By analyzing how dietary composition and exercise interact to influence lifespan, this project aims to contribute to the broader understanding of nutritional strategies that may promote healthy aging. Insights gained from Drosophila models may help inform future research on optimizing diet and physical activity interventions to reduce age-related disease risk in humans.