Timothy P. O’Connor

This study shows that Fasciclin 3 is required for the maintenance of adult olfactory interneurons in Drosophila, as its knockdown leads to neuronal death and reduced adult survival.

The paper identifies fourteen guidance genes essential for adult Drosophila nervous system survival and motility through RNAi screening, highlighting the role of Semaphorins and Plexins in motoneuron survival.

The paper evaluates 106 PTEN variants using 18 assays across 5 models to identify molecular mechanisms of dysfunction, finding that stability and domain-specific assays are critical for accurate impact assessment.