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