Worm research sheds light on aging process

No, not the electronic worms we have been staving off lately…

The article linked here reports on research that focuses on worms because they, like humans and all other creatures, share the identical class of molecules — called “small heat shock proteins’.’

The newly discovered class of molecules plays a crucial caretaking role in cells: maintaining the shape of cellular proteins, on which all life forms are built.

These scientists genetically engineered worms to produce more of these proteins resulting in a doubling of the lifespan, qualitatively as well as quantitatively.

The full article will be available on the Web for a limited time: Mercury News

Look out, Silicon Valley

8-17, State: Is biotechnology corridor in making near Houston?
Houston, TX, is developing a potential “biotechnology corridor” drawing in life science companies using U Texas Health Science and NASA as foundation blocks. This follows a trend to see the future as requiring expertise in life science, not just electronics. Even in Silicon Valley a similar transformation is taking place. The alchemy of the ’90s can no longer transmute silicon alone into gold (i.e., IPOs, huge investments, high-paying jobs, etc.)