longeva project club of experimental sciences eb 2,3/s dr. daniel de matos school, vila nova de...
TRANSCRIPT
LONGEVA project
Club of Experimental Sciences
EB 2,3/S Dr. Daniel de Matos School, Vila Nova de Poiares, Portugal
Pinhal do Rei, Secondary School, Marinha Grande, Portugal
LONGEVA Project CV - 1825
► Pedagogic and scientific project
► Project Methodology
► Club of Experimental Sciences
First results:Poster published in a International Scientific Congress (U.S.A)
Scientific Method - Problem-Based Learning
looked for information
proposed problem
formulated hypotheses
made experiments
analysed results
divulged scientific discovery
Students had:
initial problem
It is possible to extend human lifespan ?
theoretical inquiry
► Longevity has a strong genetic component
► Some foods seem to be associates to the longevity
► Caloric restriction slows aging
► Some biomolecules can activate the sirtuins (genes of “immortality”) and extend lifespan
Resveratrol
► Vegetal origin
► Extends life span in many different organisms, including mammals
► Therapy of aging pathologies: Cardiovascular Diseases
Cancer
Parkinson
Alzheimer
Polygonum cuspidatum
Resveratrol
► Extends Lifespan of Yeast by 70%
► Extends Lifespan of fish by almost 60 %
► Extends Lifespan of Fat Mice
Yeast - Saccharomyces cerevisiae
► eucariotic microorganism
► short duration of life
► easy maintenance in laboratory
► it does not raise ethical questions
► it does not have risks for the young students
ideal biologic model Leaven of Baker
it will be that resveratrol increases the resistance to thermal stress in yeast?
Hypothesis
If the longevity is correlates with the resistance to oxidative and thermal stresses, then…
If we confirmed this hypothesis
a rapid test for the identification of others lifespan-extending biomolecules
Materials e Methods
Yeast culture medium :
+
100 ml of Water
+
1 g of Leaven
+
Y C M
Control Tube Experience Tube
100 µl YCM + 100 µl water + 100 µl MB*
100 µl YCM + 100 µl of resveratrol + 100 µl MB*
Experience (step 1) – oxidative stress
MB* – Methylene Blue (after 1 minute)
Control Tube Experience Tube
Experience (step 2) – thermal stress
30 seconds in Microwaves (900 W)
Observation in optic microscope
Dead yeast
Live yeast
Counting cells
Results
Control100%
mortality
Resveratrol 60%
Implications
► Resveratrol increases oxidative and thermal stresses resistence
► In only about 2 minutes we could test thousands of vegetable extracts
► Discovery of biomolecules more potents than resveratrol
Project impact
First resultsPoster published in a International Scientific Congress (U.S.A)
Project impact
► Portuguese television, news: RTP (Portugal directo – 23 June 2006)
► 5 times in national press
► Science program in Portuguese television: RTP (ABCiência)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EGv5iT53nM&feature=related
► Presented at Science teaching festival, Grenoble, France, 2-6 April 2007
New investigation lines
► test several plant extracts with medical effects
► test vegetable extracts of trees with great longevity
New results
Did we find the elixir of immortality?
Without the elixir (100% dead cells) With the elixir (100% live cells)
Dr. Alexis Carrel (1873-1944), the scientist who won the Nobel prize for keeping the cells of a chicken heart alive for 34 years stated:
"The cell is immortal. It is merely the fluid in which it floats that degenerates.
Renew this fluid at intervals, give the cells what they require for nutrition and, as
far as we know, the pulsation of life may go on forever.”
Is immortality possible?
The Free Encyclopedia
• Elixir of life
• Life extension
First publication
Acknowledgements:
Entidades e Instituições
Todos os alunos e professores que colaboraram na elaboração do poster
Project supported by
EB 2,3/S Dr. Daniel de Matos School, Vila Nova de Poiares
Secondary School / 3 Pinhal do Rei, Marinha Grande