Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
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Blog – Page 30

In this edition, we’ll take a look at a Canadian study which shows that reducing a worm’s ability to fight free radicals in a specific organ could increase it’s lifespan. Does this have any implications for humans?

Contents:

Intro 0:00
Graphical Abstract 1:49
Figure 1. Tissue-specific re-expression of sod-2 rescues deficits in fertility and embryonic lethality in clk-1;sod-2 mutants 2:28
Figure 2. Tissue-specific re-expression of sod-2 can decrease stress resistance in clk-1;sod-2 worms 5:37
Figure 3. Tissue-specific re-expression of sod-2 is not sufficient to reduce clk-1;sod-2 lifespan 6:41
Figure 4. Disruption of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase in the intestine is sufficient to increase lifespan 7:33
Figure 5. Intestine-specific knockdown of sod-2 is sufficient to enhance resistance to heat stress 9:33
Figure 6. Intestine-specific knockdown of sod-2 does not affect physiologic rates 10:29
Conclusion & Next Steps 11:40

Study reviewed:
Intestine-specific disruption of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase extends longevity.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891584925000383

2009 paper from the same authors:
Deletion of the Mitochondrial Superoxide Dismutase sod-2 Extends Lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans.
https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.

General overview of the pros and cons of free radicals for lifespan:

Continue reading “Free Radicals Extend Lifespan?” | >

Introducing a new weekly video series showcasing the latest impactful longevity related studies.

” +Study reviewed: Reducing functionally defective old HSCs alleviates aging-related phenotypes in old recipient mice.

A new weekly series showcasing the latest and most impactful longevity studies.

In this first edition, we’ll take a look at how a subset of blood stem cells from old mice can be used to rejuvenate the blood & immune systems of other old mice and increase their lifespans.

Study reviewed:

Continue reading “Reversing Senescence with Exosomes” | >

Reviewing a trial where young blood plasma was used during joint replacement surgery in older adults, reducing immune system related inflammation and speeding up recovery. This is one of the first human trials of young plasma after many positive results in mice.

Contents:

Intro 0:00
Study Overview 1:07
Proteomic Changes 1:45
Immune Response 3:07
Specific Immune Cell Changes 4:22
Patient Outcomes 6:09
Conclusion 7:44

Study reviewed:
Infusion of young donor plasma components in older patients modifies the immune and inflammatory response to surgical tissue injury: a randomized clinical trial.
https://translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10…45;06215-w.

If you liked this video, please consider supporting its creation via a donation to the Canadian Longevity Association, which will not only help create these videos, but also help our other advocacy and outreach efforts:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/donation-form/c47dd699-b5bd-4d28…26f77ddcf3

Or, order something from our new merchandise shop:

Continue reading “Young Plasma Improves Surgery” | >

Kicking off the first Longevity Review of 2025 with a look at how exosomes can reverse cellular senescence and lengthen lifespan; how there is a subset of youthful stem cells in older animals which can increase lifespan; the most comprehensive study of life extending molescules in the roundworm; and, in the Canadian content study, how disrupting antioxidant defences in a single organ can extend longevity. https://youtu.be/uiEcPFH0EDk

Kicking off the new year with a lifespan special, we will take a look at reversing the senescence of senescent cells to increase mouse lifespan; the discovery and beneficial effects of a subset of youthful stem cells which can also increase mouse longevity; the most comprehensive study of life-extending molecules in the roundworm c.elegans ; and in the Canadian Content study, how disrupting the antioxidant defences in a specific organ in c.elegans can increase its lifespan.

Read more | >

Longevity Snapshot #5 — Reviewing a trial which shows that a combination of Omega 3, Vitamin D and Exercise slows down biological aging in older adults according to 4 epigenetic clocks.

Applying epigenetic clocks to samples from the DO-HEALTH trial, Bischoff-Ferrari et al. report a small protective effect of omega-3 supplementation over 3 years on several clocks and an additive protective effect of omega-3, vitamin D and exercise using PhenoAge.

Read more | >

For over a century, physicists have grappled with one of the most profound questions in science: How do the rules of quantum mechanics, which govern the smallest particles, fit with the laws of general relativity, which describe the universe on the largest scales?

The optical lattice clock, one of the most precise timekeeping devices, is becoming a powerful tool used to tackle this great challenge. Within an optical lattice clock, atoms are trapped in a “lattice” potential formed by laser beams and are manipulated with precise control of quantum coherence and interactions governed by .

Simultaneously, according to Einstein’s laws of general relativity, time moves slower in stronger gravitational fields. This effect, known as gravitational redshift, leads to a tiny shift of atoms’ internal energy levels depending on their position in gravitational fields, causing their “ticking”—the oscillations that define time in optical lattice clocks—to change.

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Astronomers have discovered strong evidence for the closest supermassive black hole outside of the Milky Way galaxy. This giant black hole is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, one of the nearest galactic neighbors to our own.

To make this discovery, researchers traced the paths with ultra-fine precision of 21 stars on the outskirts of the Milky Way. These stars are traveling so fast that they will escape the gravitational clutches of the Milky Way or any nearby galaxy. Astronomers refer to these as “” stars.

Similar to how recreate the origin of a bullet based on its trajectory, researchers determined where these come from. They found that about half are linked to the at the center of the Milky Way. However, the other half originated from somewhere else: a previously-unknown giant black hole in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC).

Read more | >

A phone screen you can’t scratch no matter how many times you drop it; glasses that prevent glare; a windshield that doesn’t get dusty. These are all possibilities thanks to a new way to produce sapphire.

Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered techniques to bestow superpowers upon , a material that most of us think of as just a pretty jewel. But sapphire is seen as a critical material across many different areas, from defense to consumer electronics to next-generation windows, because it’s nearly impossible to scratch.

“Sapphire is such a high-value material because of its hardness and many other favorable properties,” said Chih-Hao Chang, associate professor in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering and leader of the new research. “But the same properties that make it attractive also make it difficult to manufacture at small scales.”

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Many physicists and engineers have recently been trying to demonstrate the potential of quantum computers for tackling some problems that are particularly demanding and are difficult to solve for classical computers. A task that has been found to be challenging for both quantum and classical computers is finding the ground state (i.e., lowest possible energy state) of systems with multiple interacting quantum particles, called quantum many-body systems.

When one of these systems is placed in a thermal bath (i.e., an environment with a fixed temperature that interacts with the systems), it is known to cool down without always reaching its . In some instances, a can get trapped at a so-called local minimum; a state in which its energy is lower than other neighboring states but not at the lowest possible level.

Researchers at California Institute of Technology and the AWS Center for Quantum Computing recently showed that while finding the local minimum for a system is difficult for classical computers, it could be far easier for quantum computers.

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Researchers at the Fritz Haber Institute have developed the Automatic Process Explorer (APE), an approach that enhances our understanding of atomic and molecular processes. By dynamically refining simulations, APE has uncovered unexpected complexities in the oxidation of palladium (Pd) surfaces, offering new insights into catalyst behavior. The study is published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) simulations are essential for studying the long-term evolution of atomic and molecular processes. They are widely used in fields like surface catalysis, where reactions on material surfaces are crucial for developing efficient catalysts that accelerate reactions in and pollution control. Traditional kMC simulations rely on predefined inputs, which can limit their ability to capture complex atomic movements. This is where the Automatic Process Explorer (APE) comes in.

Developed by the Theory Department at the Fritz Haber Institute, APE overcomes biases in traditional kMC simulations by dynamically updating the list of processes based on the system’s current state. This approach encourages exploration of new structures, promoting diversity and efficiency in structural exploration. APE separates process exploration from kMC simulations, using fuzzy machine-learning classification to identify distinct atomic environments. This allows for a broader exploration of potential atomic movements.

Read more | >