Scientists Modify Worms So They Can Absorb Sunlight And Live Longer

Researchers have published work that clarifies the mechanics underlying aging. The scientists have genetically modified roundworms to make them capable of converting light into cell energy and extending their lives.

The research-based study, which was just published in the journal Nature Aging, demonstrates that genetically modified mitochondria may transform light energy into chemical energy that cells can utilise, thereby increasing the life of the roundworm (Caenorhabditis elegans).

Even though sunlight-charged cells in humans are still the stuff of science fiction films, the findings shed light on critical systems in the ageing process.

"We know that mitochondrial dysfunction is a consequence of aging," says Andrew Wojtovich, a physiologist from the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York.

"This study found that simply boosting metabolism using light-powered mitochondria gave laboratory worms longer, healthier lives."

"These findings and new research tools will enable us to further study mitochondria and identify new ways to treat age-related diseases and age healthier."

The University of Rochester Medical Center release mentioned that mitochondria are organelles found in most cells in the body. Often referred to as "cellular power plants," mitochondria use glucose to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the compound that provides energy for key functions in the cell, such as muscle contraction and the electrical impulses that help nerve cells communicate with each other.

"Production of ATP is the result of a number of reactions made possible by the exchange of protons across a membrane that separates different compartments in mitochondria; the efficiency with which this occurs is called membrane potential. Known to decline with age, membrane potential is a topic of great interest in the scientific community because of its potential role in a number of age-related diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders," the release further mentioned.

Similar to the fruit fly Drosophila, the tiny roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans has long been employed by researchers to better grasp fundamental biological concepts that, in many cases, hold true for the whole animal world.