
Fruit flies may unlock anti-aging clues, ISU research finds
Why it matters: Their extended lifespans could help science find ways to lengthen human life expectancy.
What they found: Using gene knockout experiments during a fly's larva-to-adult transition, researchers found that those lacking a developmental hormone known as PTTH enter the pupal stage a day later than usual but ultimately reach full size and remain healthy.
They also experienced reduced inflammation associated with aging and lived up to 30% longer, according to the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Reality check: Mammals have no growth hormones directly comparable to PTTH.

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Axios
a day ago
- Axios
Fruit flies may unlock anti-aging clues, ISU research finds
Fruit flies that take their sweet time growing up tend to live longer, a new study led by an Iowa State University research team found. Why it matters: Their extended lifespans could help science find ways to lengthen human life expectancy. What they found: Using gene knockout experiments during a fly's larva-to-adult transition, researchers found that those lacking a developmental hormone known as PTTH enter the pupal stage a day later than usual but ultimately reach full size and remain healthy. They also experienced reduced inflammation associated with aging and lived up to 30% longer, according to the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Reality check: Mammals have no growth hormones directly comparable to PTTH.


Scientific American
6 days ago
- Scientific American
Heat Domes Are Hotter and Lingering Longer—Because of the Arctic
CLIMATEWIRE | Temperatures are finally falling in the eastern U.S. as a vicious heat dome begins to subside. But such sweltering early-summer heat will only get more frequent in the years to come. That's because this week's heat wave — which tumbled century-old temperature records in some areas — was clearly influenced by climate change, scientists say. The heat dome is just one consequence of the "stuck" weather patterns that are on the rise as the planet warms. A recent study, published June 16 in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, warns of the rising dangers of such long-lasting weather patterns, which can prompt not just heat waves but also heavy rainfall and floods. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. This week, the heat index — or what the temperature actually feels like to human skin — rose well above 100 degrees in many areas. Minneapolis also broke a daily high last set in 1910 when the city hit 96 degrees Saturday, and New York City tied its 1888 record of 96 degrees in Central Park on Monday. The new study suggests that the phenomenon behind such extreme weather may have a surprising origin: rapid warming, hundreds of miles away, in the icy Arctic. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory investigated natural atmospheric patterns known as planetary waves. These wobbly air currents meander up and down as they circle the globe — and when they intensify, they sometimes lead to storms or heat domes stagnating in place for days at a time. The study looked at the frequency of planet wave "resonance events," or temporary intensifications. They found that these kinds of stalled atmospheric patterns have tripled over the last 70 years. At the same time, extreme summer weather — like heat waves and floods — have also grown more common. Climate models have long predicted that these patterns would occur more frequently with climate change. But the new study is the first to demonstrate that it's already happening, the authors say. Still, the exact causes of these planetary wave events are an active research topic. Some research suggests that rapid warming in the Arctic — which is heating up as much as four times faster than the rest of the globe — is altering the atmosphere in ways that shift the jet stream south and affect the planetary waves. Other studies suggest that tropical warming may actually yank the jet stream poleward. And some researchers say planetary waves may be impacted by a tug-of-war between these two influences. Computer models aren't always able to fully simulate these physical responses, making it a difficult subject to study. Scientists have been investigating — and debating — the exact physical effects of global warming on atmospheric circulation patterns for years. But the new study adds to the evidence that Arctic warming plays a role. It shows that periods of warmer temperatures in the high latitudes are associated with increases in planetary wave resonance events. It also demonstrates that the growing global contrast between land temperatures and ocean temperatures — since land is warming faster than water worldwide — has also played a part. Other events have an influence as well, the research suggests. Strong El Niño events, which cause temperatures to warm in the Pacific Ocean, also seem to drive temporary spikes in weather-stalling planetary wave events. In short, multiple factors — both natural and human-caused — play a role. But climate change is a definite influence, the study notes, warning that extreme summer weather will keep intensifying as global temperatures rise. Other research also points to the fingerprint of climate change on the recent heat. Climate Central, a nonprofit climate science and communication organization, has developed a scientific metric known as the Climate Shift Index that evaluates the influence of global warming on temperatures around the world. The tool estimates that high temperatures in large swaths of the eastern U.S. over the last few days were at least five times more likely to occur because of human-caused climate change. 'The extent of this early summer heat dome over the United States is remarkable,' said Climate Central scientist Zachary Labe in a statement. 'It is a stark reminder that climate change is making these dangerous and oppressive heat waves far more likely, affecting millions of people.'
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Yahoo
3,000 Feet Beneath the Ocean, Scientists Found Spiders With a Hidden Superpower
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: In 2023, scientists from the Occidental College of Los Angeles collected 36 specimens of sea spider living near methane seeps along the Pacific Coast from California to Alaska. Upon examining the arachnid-like creatures, they discovered that these deep sea species form a symbiotic relationship with methylotrophic bacteria, which provide a food source in the pitch dark aphotic zone. This new study paints a more complete picture of how the deep sea helps keep methane (a potent greenhouse gas) from escaping into the atmosphere. When you live in the ocean's aphotic zone, where absolute darkness reigns, you need some creative solutions to some pretty existential questions. Chief among them: what are you going to eat? For a variety of ocean floor-dwelling species, including mussels, worms, and sponges, that answer lies with chemosynthetic bacteria—organisms that flourish around methane seeps where the gas escapes the Earth's crust. A new study shows that three species of the sea spider genus Sericosura also demonstrate a similar ability, which helps explain why these spindly-legged organisms are found in such abundance near methane seeps. The results of the study were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Despite the name, sea spiders aren't actually spiders (though, that'll likely be of little comfort to an arachnophobe). Although they look remarkably similar, sea spiders have a thinner cephalothorax than their eight-legged land-based lookalikes, and their legs tend to have more joints. Oh, and they also live in the deep ocean—one of biology's true final frontiers of scientific inquiry. This hard-to-reach ecosystem is why many aspects of their lives remain a mystery. 'Our study aimed to examine the ways in which often overlooked animals might take advantage of novel energy sources, such as methane,' Shana Goffredi, the senior author of the study from the Occidental College of Los Angeles, said in a press statement. 'While the deep sea feels far away, all organisms are interconnected, and the processes in one ecosystem affect another.' In 2023, Goffredi—along with two students, including Bianca Dal Bó—embarked on a two-week research expedition on the R/V Atlantis to study these creatures in their deep-sea habitats. With the help of a piloted submersible named Alvin, they examined and collected sea spider specimens located 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) below the ocean surface from the Del Mar and Palos Verdes seeps in California and the Sanak seep in Alaska. Of the 36 specimens recovered, three of the spiders represented entirely new species. 'I had seen animal samples in preservatives in the lab for so long, so it was beautiful to finally see them moving around in their natural habitat,' Dal Bó said in a press statement. 'It made me feel all the more connected to my project and these fascinating ecosystems.' While performing experiments on board, Goffredi and Dal Bó incubated the sea spiders in seawater with methanol and a heavy isotope of methane. Because this isotope is rare in nature, the researchers could track its impact on the sea spiders, including if it was ingested. They found that methylotrophic bacteria located on the sea spiders' exoskeletons served as a source of a food. 'Evidence from tissue isotopic analysis, microbiome sequencing, and live-animal incubations followed by 13C-methane isotope probing confirms active incorporation of methane-derived carbon into spider tissues,' the authors wrote. 'This research highlights a previously unknown interaction between an animal lineage and chemically fueled microbes, introducing another symbiotic pathway for direct microbial transfer of methane carbon into animal biomass in the deep sea.' This transfer of methane carbon into animal biomass is particularly important for scientists to understand, as methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases. Sea spiders—with the help of other deep ocean-dwelling animals—are doing their part to keep these gases locked away in the ocean, so they don't reach the atmosphere and exacerbate the ongoing climate crisis. 'While the deep sea feels really far away, all organisms are interconnected,' Goffredi told CNN. 'Even though they're small, these animals have a big impact in that environment. We can't ever hope to sustainably (use) the oceans if we don't really understand the oceans.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?