Nathan Rich of the New York Times has put together anarticleabout the apparent “ immortal ” jellyfish , Turritopsis dohrnii , and how insights into its lifecycle could finally pass to potent greening therapy for humans . Not only is this clause a must - register from the view of radical life extension , it ’s also a beautifully written pean to scientist and the fiery ambition that often drive their research .
fascinate by the work being done by marine biologist Shin Kubota , Rich adjudicate to pay up him a sojourn in Japan . Kubota , who produce up on skill fiction , fix no bones about the ultimate intent of his workplace : He wants to cure human senescence — and to that terminal he ’s read the inner workings of Turritopsis to find out how the species performs its remarkable put-on .
“ Turritopsis software for human beings is the most howling dreaming of mankind , ” he told Rich . “ Once we determine how the man-of-war rejuvenates itself , we should achieve very large things . My opinion is that we will evolve and become immortal ourselves . ”
And indeed , Turritopsis is a good office to start . Like other jellyfish , it choke through two main stages of life , polyp and medusa . During the medusa phase , it produces egg or sperm , which combine to produce larva that form fresh polyp . In most jellyfish mintage , the medusa dies after it spawns — but not the Turritopsis . Rich explains :
A Turritopsis medusa , however , sink to the bottom of the ocean story , where its consistence folds in on itself — simulate the jellyfish combining weight of the foetal spot . The bell reabsorbs the tentacle , and then it degenerates further until it becomes a gelatinlike blob . Over the course of several days , this blob forge an outer shield . Next it pullulate out stolons , which resemble solution . The stolons lengthen and become a polypus . The new polyp create new medusa , and the process begin again .
It ’s this dateless oscillation that gives scientists reason to believe Turritopsis is immortal — or infinitely capable of reform itself at the very least . And amazingly , as Kevin J. Peterson say the NYT , “ There ’s a shocking amount of genetic similarity between jellyfish and human being . ”
Further perceptivity into Turritopsis could have unsounded significance for music , particularly the fields of genus Cancer and seniority . To that remainder , scientists are study its microRNA , what are tiny fibril of genic textile that baffle cistron facial expression and dish out a crucial function in stalk cell function .
And as for Kubota , it ’s absolved that Rich was in the presence of a special persona — a scientist unmoved by unfavorable judgment and driven by his vision of a higher goal . robust recounts the prison term Kubota certify the jellyfish ’s special skill :
“ Watch , ” he said . “ I will make this medusoid rejuvenate . ”
The most authentic way to make the immortal jellyfish eld in reverse , Kubota explain to me , is to mutilate it . With two ok alloy picks , he began to perforate the medusa ’s mesoglea , the gelatinous tissue that composes the bell . After Kubota pry it six times , the medusa behaved like any prod victim – it put down on its side and began nip jerkily . Its tentacles stopped ruffle , and its bell slightly puckered . But Kubota , in what appeared a misdirect act of sadism , did n’t stop there . He stabbed it 50 time in all . The medusa had long since stopped locomote . It lay wilted , crippled , its mesoglea snap , the bell deflated . Kubota looked quenched .
“ You rejuvenate ! ” he squall at the jellyfish . Then he started laughing .
We check on the knife thrust dupe every twenty-four hours that week to watch its transformation . On the 2d 24-hour interval , the depleted , gelatinous mess had seize itself to the storey of the petri dish ; its tentacles were dead set in on themselves . “ It ’s transdifferentiating , ” Kubota say . “ Dynamic changes are occurring . ” By the fourth solar day the tentacles were gone , and the organism terminate to resemble a medusa entirely ; it wait alternatively like an amoeba . Kubota call in this a “ meatball . ” By the end of the calendar week , stolon had start to bourgeon out of the meatball .
This method is , in a sure common sense , cheat , as physical distress induces greening . But the outgrowth also hap naturally when the medusoid grows old or sick . In Kubota ’s most recent paper on Turritopsis , he document the rude rejuvenation of a single dependency in his research laboratory between 2009 and 2011 . The estimation was to see how quickly the species would reform itself when left to its own gadget . During the two - year period , the colony rebirthed itself 10 times , in intervals as abbreviated as one calendar month . In his paper ’s finish , print in the journal Biogeography , Kubota wrote , “ Turritopsis will be preserve perpetually by the present method and will … contribute to any study for everyone in the future tense . ”
Over the course of his investigating and interview , Rich was also treated to several songs written by Kubota in tribute to the jellyfish . In one song he sang :
My name is Shin Kubota
Associate professor of Kyoto University
At Shirahama , Wakayama Prefecture
I last next to an fish tank
enjoy marine - biology inquiry
Every day , I take the air on the beach
lift out up with a plankton net
Searching for marvelous creatures
Searching for unknown jellyfish .
commit my life to minor creatures
Patrolling the beaches every day
red-hot spring sandal are always on
Necessary item to get in the ocean
Scarlet medusa rejuvenates
Scarlet medusa is immortal
And it ’s not just Kubota who has become enamoured by this species ; this simple Portuguese man-of-war has taken on epic proportion in Japan on story of its uncanny powers .
Do yourself a favor andread the entire thing — this summary just scratches the surface .
Images : Takashi Murai / NYT .
FuturismjellyfishScience
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