• Gene expression profile analysis
• Genome organization and function
• Cellular signaling
• Metabolic pathways
• Stress and immune responses

Dr. Holt’s research has centered on gene expression patterns and genome organization in Caenorhabditis elegans.  C. elegans is a nonpathogenic soil nematode that is a useful model system for diverse areas of biomedical research, including aging and longevity, insulin-like signaling, and innate immunity.  Abundantly expressed gene transcripts detected by Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) at relatively higher levels in a long-lived non-feeding diapause stage called the dauer larva fall into functional classification categories related to protein synthesis, membrane transport, or immune responses.  This invertebrate model is of interest for the investigation of signaling pathways that intersect metabolic and innate immune responses.