We congratulate Associate Professor Oleh Lushchak and Senior Research Fellow, PhD Olha Strilbytska, on the publication of the experimental article “Life-history trade-offs in Drosophila: flies select a diet to maximize reproduction at the expense of lifespan” in the famous The Journals of Gerontology A (impact factor – 5.1, Q1 in the field of geriatrics and gerontology), published by Oxford University Press. Co-authors of the article are also employees of the department – Leading Specialist, PhD Uliana Semaniuk, Assistant Professor Ihor Yurkevich, and Associate Professor Dmytro Gospodaryov. The research was carried out in collaboration with Professor Stephen Simpson – Academic Director of the Charles Perkins Center at the University of Sydney (Australia), Fellow of the Royal Society and Companion of the Order of Australia. The work shows that fruit flies that can choose what food to eat – a medium with sugar or a medium with yeast – live shorter life. Flies choose the food with yeast, which is a source of protein, necessary for reproduction. The choice of food had a much smaller effect on the lifespan of male fruit flies, as well as virgin females. Taste-impaired fruit fly lines were also less responsive to food choice, and their lifespans do not differ significantly on different diets. Thus, the study shows that fruit flies choose the diet most favorable for reproduction and obtaining a large number of offspring. However, such a diet is not optimal for “longevity”.
For Oleh Lushchak’s team, this article is already the third in The Journals of Gerontology. The previous article was published ten years ago – in 2014. The authors also have a popular blog post on the Oxford University Press website – Will caloric restriction help you live longer?