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Abstract: Exploring Differential Molecular Signatures at the Sex and Tissue Levels in a Model of Stress Response
By Gursimran Kaur, '26

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Metabolic homeostasis, a way of regulating glucose, fats, and energy, is necessary to combat disorders. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C.elegans) has emerged as a powerful system for the discovery of lipid regulatory mechanisms, which may solve the problem of metabolic disorders. C.elegans is used among scientists to study molecular mechanisms in
metabolic diseases. They can be mutated to study how metabolism is regulated among similar organisms and manipulated to test if fatty acids can affect its lifespan and lipid homeostasis. In previous studies it has been shown that in C. elegans, this supplementation can increase survival by improving the metabolism and resistance of the worms. We theorized that oleic acid
supplementation improves the survival of N2 worms following infection of Serratia marcescens (S.marcescens), with Sma-3 mutants exhibiting a notably increased survival benefit. S.marcencens is a model pathogen that is used in worm models like C. elegans. It can infect worms by producing toxins and enzymes. This makes it popular to be used when comparing interactions between a host and a pathogen. We conclude that the Oleic Acid Supplementation has shown to increase the survival of C. elegans, which is significantly seen with the wildtype.

© 2025 by The Molloy Journal of Science Research

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