Rochester researchers have successfully transferred a longevity gene from naked mole rats to mice, resulting in improved health and an extension of the mouse’s lifespan.

Naked mole rats, known for their long lifespans and exceptional resistance to age-related diseases, have long captured the attention of the scientific community. By introducing a specific gene responsible for enhanced cellular repair and protection into mice, the researchers have opened exciting possibilities for unlocking the secrets of aging and extending human lifespan.

“Our study provides a proof of principle that unique longevity mechanisms that evolved in long-lived mammalian species can be exported to improve the lifespans of other mammals,” says Vera Gorbunova, the Doris Johns Cherry Professor of biology and medicine at Rochester.

Gorbunova, along with Andrei Seluanov, a professor of biology, and their colleagues, report in a study published in Nature that they successfully transferred a gene responsible for making high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HMW-HA) from a naked mole rat to mice. This led to improved health and an approximate 4.4 percent increase in median lifespan for the mice.

Could this be a ‘fountain of youth’ for humans?

(Getty Images)

Rochester economist John Singleton examines the pros and cons of school choice options, including charter schools and private schools.

School choice refers to a set of policies that create options for families and students that are not directly linked to the neighborhood where they live.

Singleton, an associate professor of economics, studies the intersection of public economics and the economics of education—specifically, the topic of school choice. With a new school year already underway or on the horizon for many, he shares insights everyone should know about school choice, whether or not you’re the parent or guardian of school-age children.

“Taxpayers are now financing education at charter schools and, to some extent, private schools,” Singleton says. “So, there are very real concerns about the impact on resources at traditional public schools, and what that means for public education and society more broadly.”

Singleton outlines the pros and cons of this system.

(University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster)

In a laboratory at Rochester’s Center for Advanced Brain Imaging & Neurophysiology, Sophea Urbi Biswas pores over brain wave signals recorded from a person listening to an audiobook next door. Biswas, a senior biomedical engineering student from Bangladesh, is attempting to see if the syntactic features of the words and phrases the participant listens to are reflected in the waves picked up by the electroencephalography (EEG) cap they wear.

“We take all these classes where they teach you the fundamentals of coding and how to use coding languages. But until now, I haven’t gotten to apply it to real data taken from real people,” says Biswas, the recipient of a Schwartz Discover Grant that allowed her to spend the summer in an immersive, full-time research experience. “It’s exciting pursuing questions that have never been asked before and getting results that have never been found before. This project shows how powerful coding can be.”

Biswas also cites mentorship as key to her success.

Apply by Monday, September 11 at 5 p.m.

The UR CTSI is now accepting applications for three funding programs that support translational science, the study of the scientific and operational principles underlying each step of the translational process. View the RFA and learn more about the three pilot award categories: Faculty, Trainee, and UNYTE Translational Research Network.

Apply by Monday, September 18 at 5 p.m. 

 Applications are now open for the Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s KL2 Career Development Award, which provides two years of support for early-career, multidisciplinary clinical and translational scientists. The program fosters the transition of KL2 scholars to independent careers as clinical and translational investigators. Learn more and apply.