Yeast as a model organism for aging research

After decades of fruitful work in model organisms, aging research is moving increasingly into the realm of human studies. Many interventions have been proposed targeting pathways identified in nonvertebrates, and a major challenge is to test their efficacy in extending human healthspan. For model organisms like yeast, the past has been fruitful, but where does the future lead? Here we summarize yeast as a model for aging research, pointing to impactful discoveries that have been generated, and discuss the future for research in this simple yet powerful organism. Myriad tools exist to manipulate yeast cells and measure molecular outcomes, but what are the right questions to ask in a climate of increasing difficulty for basic biology funding?