Abstract: Dr. Laird's research focuses on the development, selection, and aging of the germline. The decline in female fertility that begins in the 30s is thought to result from reduced oocyte competence. However, a transplant study in mice showed that aged oocytes can be rejuvenated by young follicular support cells.Recent work from Dr. Laird’s lab suggests that the support provided by the follicle to growing mouse oocytes includes not only metabolites, as previously believed, but also mRNAs needed for maturation and embryo development. These findings raise the possibility that oocyte failure may be due to insufficient import of maternal transcripts, rather than intrinsic defects.To study the link between reproduction and longevity, Dr. Laird’s lab is also working with naked mole rats (NMRs), a eusocial species with a single reproductive queen and non-reproductive subordinates. Queens live much longer than subordinates, but any subordinate can become a queen. Fibroblasts and stem cells from both groups have been established to model these differences. Early results show metabolic and epigenetic differences that may help explain lifespan variation.