The Kaeberlein laboratory utilizes the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to study aging, a progression characterized by the gradual deterioration of cellular components and bodily functions. Aging is a progression every organism eventually undergoes, and by better understanding the molecular mechanisms behind it, we can determine how to delay its progression and increase our healthspan, the portion of our lifespan in which we are healthy and free from serious disease. S. cerevisiae functions as an effective model organism because it contains many conserved biological processes, making lifespan simple and fast to measure. The replicative lifespan assay (RLS) is used to quantify the lifespan of the yeast. Individual yeast cells undergo asymmetric mitotic division producing a daughter cell that is distinctively smaller than the original mother cell. Yeast are incubated on growth promoting plates, and the yeast produce daughter cells that are microdissected, counted, and moved away. The cycle repeats until the original mother cell can no longer produce a daughter. The total number of daughter cells produced by individual mother cells is then used to understand the effect of the gene on the lifespan of the yeast. This technique aids in developing models that can be used to understand the conserved biological pathways that influence longevity. Aging is an underlying risk factor for many non-communicable diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Cancer, and heart disease. Our laboratory has performed thousands of gene knockouts on S. cerevisiae and has identified several genes that modulate replicative lifespan. This research is focused on identifying the genes that play a role in reducing the rate of aging to delay the onset of age associated diseases. By understanding how specific genes play a role in aging, we can apply this research to other organisms, with the ultimate intent of increasing the length of a healthier human life.