2026 Theses Doctoral

Cyclic fasting drives metabolic and physiological changes in Drosophila melanogaster

Gatto, Jared A.

Today, we live in an era of unprecedented access to highly processed, calorie-dense foods. This has contributed to worldwide increases in obesity and related health issues such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

To address this, cyclic fasting diets—diets that involve structured fasting and feeding periods—have been used and protect many aspects of health, even without reducing caloric intake. One such diet is time-restricted feeding, which has been shown in model organisms and humans to reduce fat stores, protect against high-fat diets, and prevent obesity in mice. However, the effects in humans are inconsistent, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

To explore this knowledge gap, my lab developed a cyclic fasting diet in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, called intermittent, time-restricted feeding, which significantly extends lifespan and delays aging—despite these effects on longevity, the metabolic and physiological effects were largely uncharacterized. In this thesis, I use the fruit fly to examine the metabolic and physiological effects of intermittent, time-restricted feeding and cyclic fasting.