Magnetic field removal extends diseased flies' lifespans, shortens healthy ones
University of Nottingham researchers find Earth's magnetic field has opposite effects on aging in healthy versus Parkinson's-prone fruit flies.
What to know
- Diseased fruit flies with a Parkinson's-linked gene mutation (Pink1) lived 20% longer when Earth's magnetic field was removed, while healthy flies had shortened lifespans—opposite effects.
- The study reveals the magnetic field influences cellular aging by affecting mitochondrial energy production and metabolism.
- Findings have implications for understanding aging mechanisms and assessing health risks for humans during long-duration space travel beyond Earth's protective magnetic shield.
“I was really confused at first. I was thinking: 'Why are these Parkinson's flies living longer than some of the wild-type flies?' I had to double-check all of my data.”
Jacob Reed, PhD student, University of Nottingham · 404 Media ↗
Jacob Reed PhD student in bioscience, University of NottinghamLisa Chakrabarti Professor of biochemistry, University of NottinghamUniversity of Nottingham Research institution
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404 Media reports on first-of-its-kind magnetic field aging study
404 Media published detailed coverage of the University of Nottingham study, including interviews with lead researchers Jacob Reed and Lisa Chakrabarti explaining the surprising results and the biological mechanisms at work.
“I think we're the first to show that there's an effect in an organism that has a disease phenotype. We're really drilling into what the differences are between having that applied pressure or relieving it.”
— Lisa Chakrabarti -
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Scientists discovered that diseased fruit flies lived longer when they were removed from Earth’s magnetic field, while healthy flies had shorter lifespans, in a first-of-its kind experiment with surprising results.
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Diseased fruit flies with a Parkinson's-linked gene defect lived 20% longer when removed from Earth's magnetic field. An invisible force influencing aging is quite significant. What does this change about how we consider age-related diseases?
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background
Study published showing magnetic field affects fruit fly lifespans differently by health status — Researchers published findings in the journal Aging showing that removal of Earth's magnetic field extended the lifespan of diseased (Pink1 mutant) fruit flies by 20 percent while reducing their mobility, whereas healthy flies experienced the opposite—reduced lifespan but improved mobility.
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2 outlets An Invisible Force Has a Mysterious Effect on Aging, Scientists Discover in 'Startling' Breakthrough
first by Mastodon, 10h ago · also 404 Media