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    Category Biology/Biotechnology

    Experiments have Conclusively Proven for the 1st time Mitochondria are Major Triggers of Cell Aging

    February 4, 2016, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    This image shows Dr. Joao Passos and Dr. Clara Correia-Melo in the lab. Credit: Newcastle University

    This image shows Dr. Joao Passos and Dr. Clara Correia-Melo in the lab. Credit: Newcastle University

    This brings scientists a step closer to developing therapies to counteract the aging of cells, by targeting mitochondria. In a study, published today in the EMBO Journal and led by Dr João Passos at Newcastle University, they found that when mitochondria were eliminated from aging cells they became much more similar to younger cells. As we grow old, cells in our bodies accumulate different types of damage and have increased inflammation, factors which are thought to contribute to the aging process.

    The team carried out a series of genetic experiments involving human cells grown in the laboratory and succeeded in eliminating the majority, if not all, the mitochondria from aging cells...

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    Lifespan of Mice Extended by as much as 35%; No Adverse Effects found

    February 3, 2016, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Clearance of senescent cells prolongs healthspan.

    Clearance of senescent cells prolongs healthspan

    Researchers have shown senescent cells – cells that no longer divide and accumulate with age – negatively impact health and shorten lifespan by as much as 35% in normal mice. The results demonstrate that clearance of senescent cells delays tumor formation, preserves tissue and organ function, and extends lifespan without observed adverse effects.

    “Cellular senescence is a biological mechanism that functions as an ’emergency brake’ used by damaged cells to stop dividing,” says Jan van Deursen, Ph.D., Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular biology at Mayo Clinic...

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    Clip-on Device offers Protection against Mosquitoes that Transmit Zika

    February 3, 2016, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Zika virus mosquito Photo by Alexander Wild

    Photo by Alexander Wild

    A product called the OFF!® Clip-On™ repellent device could be an effective tool for preventing bites from the Aedes aegypti mosquito – the primary vector of Zika, chikungunya, dengue, and yellow fever. The OFF! Clip-On repels mosquitoes by releasing a vapor form of insecticide through a battery-powered fan, forming an insecticide “cloud” around the wearer of the device. In order to test the effectiveness of the device, Christopher Bibbs and Rui-De Xue of the Anastasia Mosquito Control District in Florida studied how the device performed against hungry Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The study was done outdoors in order to replicate real-world conditions.

    They found that the OFF! Clip-On caused high mosquito mortality and knockdown rates up to 0...

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    Cling-on Warriors: Sandcastle Worms serve as Inspiration for a New Underwater Adhesive

    February 3, 2016, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics, Biology/Biotechnology

    Sandcastle worm

    Sandcastle worm (Phragmatopoma californica) Credit: Fred Hayes

    It has the potential for biomedical and non-biological applications. Areas such as tissue repair, dental adhesives and other surface adhesion applications, industrial and commercial – which are often required under adverse conditions, such as salty sea water and in aqueous solutions containing organic impurities – could benefit from this glue, which replicates the adhesion strategy of the Sandcastle worm (Phragmatopoma californica), a segmented marine invertebrate commonly found along the California coast.

    Known for constructing hive-like shelters in colonies out of grains of sand glued together by a protein adhesive, sandcastle worms, along with mussels and other glue-secreting inhabitants of the intertidal zone, have served a...

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