How to catch a Smurf? - Ageing and beyond... In vivo assessment of intestinal permeability in multiple model organisms

The Smurf Assay (SA) was initially developed in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster where a dramatic increase of intestinal permeability has been shown to occur during ageing. We have since validated the protocol in multiple other model organisms and have utilised the assay to further our understanding of ageing. The SA has now also been used by other labs to assess intestinal barrier permeability. The SA in itself is simple, however numerous small details can have considerable impact on its experimental validity and subsequent interpretation. Here, we provide detailed update on the SA technique and explain how to catch a Smurf while avoiding the most common experimental fallacies